The legendary Western series Bonanza kept its viewers glued to the show through its action-packed episodes that dealt with the lead characters’ adventures and drama. William Raynor and Myles Wilder wrote the program’s forty-seventh episode, The Blood Line, which first aired on December 31, 1960. 

The episode begins with Luke Grayson (played by former B-western star Allan Lane) going on a violent drunken rampage. The situation forces Ben Cartwright to shoot and kill him. Todd (David Macklin), Grayson’s son who has recently arrived from the East, swears to take revenge on Ben and the rest of the Cartwright family.

Jan Sterling appears as a special guest star, playing the character Dianna Jordan. Other actors in the episode include Lee Van Cleef as Appling, Norman Leavitt as Bert, and science-fiction film veteran Thomas Browne Henry plays Jenkins. 

Read The Blood Line‘s plotline, which includes some interesting trivia, or watch the full episode below.

Watch the Full Episode of The Blood Line

Watch the Full Episode of The Blood Line:

Main Cast

The Blood Line, Bonanza’s fifteenth episode for its second season, stars a few of the show’s one-time guests, recurring and supporting cast in addition to the lead actors.

• 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)
• Jan Sterling as Dianne Jordan
• David Macklin as Todd Grayson
• Lee Van Cleef as Appling
• Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee
• Norman Leavitt as Bert
• Thomas Browne Henry as Ab Jenkins (as Thomas B. Henry)
• Ed Prentiss as Minister
• Dan Riss as Charlie
• Allan Lane as Luke Grayson
• Sam Bagley as Townsman (uncredited)
• John Barton as Townsman (uncredited)
• Michael Jeffers as Townsman (uncredited)
• Cosmo Sardo as Townsman (uncredited)
• Rudy Sooter as Townsman (uncredited)
• Ray Spiker as Townsman (uncredited)
• Dan White as Station Agent (uncredited)

Full Story Line for The Blood Line

Ben and Hoss visit Virginia City to buy some supplies. Suddenly, a drunk Luke Grayson arrives, shivering, asking the storekeeper, Bert, for his favorite brand of wine. However, his wine of choice is out of stock. Still, Luke insists on getting himself some wine, forcing Ben to interfere. Luke gets a bottle of wine, causing many others to fall. Dianne Jordan, a saloon girl, stops him, but Luke grabs a gun, aiming then shooting it at the Cartwrights. The situation forces Ben to retaliate, killing Luke in the process.

Luke Grayson’s son, Todd Grayson, arrives from Boston, expecting his father to welcome his arrival. However, Todd learns that his father is dead. He rushes inside the funeral parlor as Ben and Hoss exit. Dianne Jordan arrived shortly, telling Todd that Ben Cartwright shot and killed his father in cold blood. Ab Jenkins tells Todd that Ben only fired in self-defense.

Todd points Luke’s gun at Ben as the funeral service ends in the cemetery. Ben feels sorry for the young man.

The sheriff puts Todd in jail until the judge arrives and decides what happens to him. Ben insists they free Todd in the meantime, but the sheriff believes it’s for the best, noting that nothing can stop Todd from exacting revenge. Just then, Dianne arrives to take care of Todd. She brings him his father’s gold watch, chain, and three silver dollars. Todd felt disappointed, expecting more from his father after the words he mentioned in the letters he received.

Ben asks Dianne if there’s something he can do to help Todd. However, Dianne brushes him off, thinking it’s Ben’s way to ease his guilt. Ben tells the sheriff that he’ll take Todd to the Ponderosa to straighten him out before he ends up like his father. Hoss doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but Ben insists. The sheriff reluctantly agrees to give Todd to Ben, only on parole.

Appling visits Dianne to talk about Todd and the Cartwrights. He volunteers to kill Ben Cartwright for a price. Dianne mentioned not having enough funds, but Appling thinks Todd inherited enough money to hire him. Appling leaves, giving Dianne time to think it over.

Hoss spends time with Todd at the Ponderosa to keep him busy. Ben even offers him to eat with them. However, Todd remains bad-tempered, not liking his stay at the Ponderosa.

Later that evening, Todd finds a gun in the Ponderosa house, pointing it at Ben. When Todd pulls the trigger, he discovers that the weapon has no bullet, much to his disappointment. Todd flees, and Ben doesn’t try to run after him. He plans to tell sheriff Roy about the situation in the morning.

Todd visits Bert’s store to buy a gun. However, Bert refuses to sell him a weapon for any cost, considering he’s Luke Grayson’s son. Todd was about to leave when he found an ax handle, striking Bert, causing him to fall unconscious. There, Todd steals a gun and a load of bullets, hiding them on his vest.

Dianne finds Todd hiding at the staircase of the saloon. Todd reveals that he tried to kill Ben, so Dianne offers to take him to his room before they catch him.

Meanwhile, Ben and Hoss visit the sheriff to report what happened. They encounter Bert, who tells them that Todd came into his store to buy a gun. However, as he turned around, Todd hit him with an ax handle. Bert also tells them Todd took a gun and some shells from his shelf. Sheriff Roy orders Ben to take Bert to the doctor while he and Hoss continue searching for Todd.

In Dianne’s room, Dianne tries to stop Todd from killing Ben. Although Dianne wants Ben dead like Todd, she doesn’t want Todd to pursue his plan. Seeing she can’t stop Todd, Dianne shows Todd a draft on the First City Bank of San Francisco, holding five hundred dollars. Just then, Appling enters the room. Dianne asks him to get Todd to San Francisco, and Appling agrees for five hundred dollars. However, Todd doesn’t want to accept it. Appling shoves him, then grabs the bank draft Dianne signed.

Appling goes to the saloon to ask the bartender for a cash exchange. Ben arrives and finds out about it, asking if it has something to do with Todd. However, Appling refuses to talk about it. Ben insists on talking to Dianne about the money, but as he turns, Appling calls his name and is ready to shoot Ben. However, Ben evaded and fired him back.

Todd and Dianne hear the gunshot, so he guides Todd to hide outside the window. Ben asks Dianne about the bank draft. Dianne tells Ben that it was Luke’s money. However, Ben knew that Luke never had that big of cash. He reminds Dianne that the town knew she supported Luke, but Luke failed to recognize what she did for him. Todd jumps from the window and aims the gun at Ben again. Dianne stops him, telling Todd that everything he heard from Ben was true. She tells him that Luke never sent him a dime, that Luke uses his money to get drunk, and all the funds Todd received came from her. Confused, Todd asks Dianne why she stayed with his father if he was that bad. Dianne reveals that he loved Luke despite all of that.

Ben gets the gun from Todd’s hand and leaves to give the two a moment. He meets sheriff Roy and Hoss and surrenders the weapon, stating it had no bullets. Ben also tells Roy that Todd didn’t steal the horse since they gave it to him.

Ben asks Roy to tell Todd to pay them a visit with his new mother, Dianne.

Full Script and Dialogue of The Blood Line

[Applause]

[Music]

they sure are i'll put them on your bill

where'd you put one house's personal

bill say i got a long list of supplies

here i'd like you put together for us

i said leave me alone

some of that sweet wine bird doctor said

take a little with my meals well at the

brand you like luke maybe later today

we'll have some in

luke honey you heard what he said look

you can come back later

i don't want no woman telling me what to

do

who do you think you're fooling you

think i haven't got any eyes

i'll get them myself oh wait a minute

luke you stay out of there

luke uh haas and i just going out to

have some breakfast why don't you come

along with us

are you cartwright stay out of this i

don't like you

i never did

ain't gonna put up with this luke you

get out of here stay out of here honey

please

stop i don't want you to get hurt

[Music]

no stinking store keeper's going to tell

me what to do

you high on mighty cartwrights

you don't mean nothing to me look honey

please stop

i've always wanted to kill me a

[Music]

cartwright

luke luke honey

please me

now how'd this happen

i'm afraid it's too late for a doctor

luke's been drinking for a week straight

sheriff he plumb one out of his head

there wasn't nothing ben could do

luke grayson's been heading for this for

a long time

maybe so a miserable end for a man like

luke grayson once was you had to do this

didn't you ben cartwright

you had to kill him

[Music]

two

[Music]

ah

[Music]

well todd this is the end of our long

journey virginia city

doesn't look like either of us are going

to get much of a welcome

paul musta got my letter i wrote him

right after he sent me the money for the

fair

time's pretty valuable to a man who's

rich and important should say your pies

he probably left word for you let's ask

around well that's the thing to do i

i want to thank you anyway for looking

out for me the way you have no

agent yes sir

you know a man called luke grayson sure

who don't

well he was supposed to meet this stage

all right he ain't going to meet this

stage or any other

and you'll find him over yonder

you don't mean he's dead and i have

jenkins ain't buried alive one recently

however i think the townspeople would

have been willing to make an exception

in this case

no no he can't be dead

can't be dead

[Music]

isn't that terrible that boy came all

the way from boston to see his father

father is that luke's kid

are you sure there's nothing more

hustling i can do appears to me you've

done too much already

i don't like the way you said that mr

jenkins everybody knows it was either

paul or luke you know that in what i

mean haas

i was referring to all the expense

paying for the best funeral

the sheriff has a special fun to foot

that kind of bill

sheriff didn't gun luke down i did

we'll see at the services thank you

get out of my way

is that luke grayson i'm afraid so

not the way i remember him it's not the

way at all

how did he die i'm afraid this ain't the

time of the place look mister i got a

right to know it was my father

todd todd grayson

i'd have known you anywhere it's all

luke talked about the last few days

if there's ever anything i can do what

do you know about him

i'm diane jordan luke and i were

your father and i well he must have

written you about me

how did he die now look son this is no

time to be talking about things like

this isn't it why isn't it i'll have to

know the truth sooner or later

your father was murdered shot down in

cold blood by a man named ben

cartwright now you know better than that

diane

son this ain't the same as back east

but a man draws a gun on another man

cartwright

why did he want to kill my father if

you're ben cartwright you don't have to

have an excuse to kill a man

diane i won't have this talk now look

boy you come with me a minute

it's your father's gun take a good look

it'll show he fired twice

there was no way back after that

he fired even before ben cartwright drew

my father's gun

he wore it proudly it was a famous gun

once

uh son the gun i think i ought to turn

that over to sheriff

why it was luke's gun wasn't it well

yeah sure but then it should go to the

boy

everything luke left should go to the

boy

your father left some other things over

at my place with me

i know we'd want you to have them

nor is it for us to condemn the victor

even while we

mourn the fall we can only hope that the

soul of luke grayson shall achieve in

the everlasting

life beyond the forgiveness

and peace denied him on this earth

let us pray

[Music]

you better say one for yourself mr

cartwright

it's gonna it's gonna be your last you

murdered my father now they're gonna

bury you along with him

don't be a fool boy put up your gun

when i'm finished with it son this is

your last warning you might get off the

first shot but i'll get off the second

holy sheriff

he's just a scared kid now sure i'm

scared

but that's not gonna stop me for your

own sake listen to me

it was no murder ben cartwright did

everything he could to avoid bloodshed

keep out of this it isn't your fight it

doesn't have to be anybody's fight son

if i'd done what you think do you

believe i'd be a free man today

oh i've heard all about you cartwrights

you can even buy your way out of murder

but not this time

wait let me go i'll kill him i'll kill

him

it's all right it's all gonna be all

right just the way i promised your

father

i don't want any favors from anyone

that's all right todd your father was

that way too

he wasn't the sort of man to ask anyone

for a favor either

you put him there ben cartwright think

of that when you try to sleep tonight

i've addressed a complaint to judge

parker and eureka

he should be there but the first a month

and he can head straight back well

that's fine that should only take about

three weeks now what happens to the

board till then

well i reckon that taxpayers can stand

the expense of another border

hang at all well you can't keep that boy

behind bars he's not a criminal he's a

16 year old kid

with a 16 year old gun ben

do you realize that if that kid was just

a split second sooner you wouldn't be

around to watch either one of them grow

any older

that's right paul the sidewinder is just

as poisonous today he's had to use when

he's full grow

now we're not talking about sign writers

we're talking about a boy

besides thanks to this one have already

been pulled

and i am to see that he don't get a

chance to grow another set

least ways until a circuit judge decides

what happens to him

lot of things can happen until then but

not with the boy in here

eat himself up with grief and all it's

just no good roy

what do you want me to do take him by

the hand and tell him that nice little

boys just don't go out and murder in

their elders and turn them loose

i've come for the boy the boy hold on

diane

he's my responsibility isn't he who else

is going to look after him

he was luke grayson's son and i'm the

only one around here that cared anything

about luke grayson so that gives me a

right to the boy

diane it's not a matter of who the boy's

father is it's just

well he's upset and he's kind of

dangerous when he feels this way

well i could take care of him sheriff i

could give him a home

where in the saloon roy

please you stay out of this cartwright

i don't care what you all think about me

but the boy has to have someone

don't you understand that he needs

someone

i'm sorry diane but i just can't turn

him over to you

why could i see him well of course

that's perfectly all right right over

here

todd what do you want

well i i brought you these things

who are your fathers

gold watch and chain remember this

[Music]

three silver dollars

that's all he had but there must have

been more he wrote me

oh what exactly did he tell you todd

that when i got here he'd buy a horse

for me

and i'd help him build a house and

together we'd

we'd start a ranch yes i know

how would you know he never would have

showed you any letters he wrote to me

no that's right he wouldn't besides it

never would have sent for me on a three

dollar promise

wasn't that kind of a man

[Music]

well he's gone now it doesn't matter

well it does to me and it would do you

two if you ever meant anything at all to

him

[Music]

well i don't know what i meant to him

[Music]

but i certainly know what he meant to me

then is there something

i could do to help with the boy what's

the matter cartwright

looking for something to ease your

conscience oh diane you know better than

that

paul's just trying to i don't care what

he's trying to do

how can he know what i must feel how can

any of you cartwrights know anything

about feelings

you've got everything you want isn't any

room in your life or anything like

feelings

sheriff i'm not gonna leave that boy in

that jail cell then

i know what you're thinking but you're

wrong you don't know that kid any favors

what makes you so sure the favorite be

for him roy both of us we've been around

pretty long time but not so long that we

can take a man's life and just forget it

whether the man needed killing or not i

know ben now i don't like keeping that

kid in jail any more than you do but

what expect me to do with him turn him

over to diane

no no turn them over to me to you

paul you forgetting what that boy tried

to do to you at the cemetery us

he's a scared little boy who traveled 3

000 miles for what

for a funeral he's hurt he's confused

he's he's alone

if somebody doesn't straighten him out

now he'll wind up like his father a

worse

then somebody else will have blood in

his hands well paul if

if we do take him what are we going to

do with him take him to the ponderosa

show them what fresh air feels like give

him a horse teach him how to ride don't

you think i know what to do with boys

oh sure you do paul but but this boy

wants to kill you

he thinks he wants to kill me but if he

stays locked up like a criminal he'll be

sure of it now roy please believe me i

know what's best

ben i have all the respect in the world

for your judgment i think you're wrong

but if i do turn him over here you're

going to have to be responsible for him

all the way

i'm perfectly willing to accept that boy

he's going to be a mighty big hand for

adam little joe both going out on a

roundup well we'll be able to manage him

but it's only a parole nothing more

and if he steps out of line just one

time you're duty-bound to turn him back

to me now you understand that

i understand perfectly there'll be no

trouble paul i sure hope you know what

you're doing

so do i

[Applause]

[Music]

mind if i join you don't you believe in

knocking

oh that depends your kind never does

not just what is my kind i've seen you

in every mining camp and every tank town

honky tonk between here and mexico

maybe not the same face or the same

fancy duds but

the same cold eyes same way of walking

and the same stink of killing on you

well now that we understand each other

i'll have that drink

a nice place you've got here fine

tasting furniture

now um you didn't come here just to talk

about my taste in furniture

and don't be too sure about that let's

just call this a sort of uh

social visit people like you and me

we never get enough chance to talk

nobody much cares what we think or how

we feel

feelings can't afford it not anymore

no and what's this still around for

give it to me it's all i have left it in

that and the boy he's on your mind

whether you like it or not

he's nothing to me anymore now that i

know he's in good hands

the hands that killed his father

that kid's got spunk how long do you

think he'll take what ben cartwright

dishes out

come on admit it sooner or later he'll

make his play then

get himself killed then or hang later

what can i do about it he won't talk to

me

maybe he doesn't have to maybe he

already has

what do you mean by that i was at the

funeral he tried to kill ben cartwright

and you didn't try to stop him

i'm not responsible for what he tried to

do maybe not

but you were hoping the boy would pull

the trigger

or weren't you well how do you expect me

to feel

after all his father and i were we're in

love that's very touching with little

out of my line

i'm talking about killing ben cartwright

you'd kill ben cartwright for a price

for a price i could kill most anybody

what makes you think i've got the money

well not you maybe

i was thinking of the kid on the way out

here he told me about his father

that boy's gonna fall into quite an

inheritance

i haven't sunk that low

anyway even if i wanted ben cartwright

dead i'd never hire a two-bit gun like

you

no i guess you wouldn't you can let the

boy do it for you

wear something pretty when you go up to

prison to see him

think it over i'll be around if you need

me

[Applause]

wow

that the prettiest bunch of trees you

ever seen todd

[Music]

you ever been to boston no

can't say it's a half how do you know

they don't have prettier trees there

you got something there never thought of

it right

guess there are lots of things you never

thought of

yeah yep i reckon you're right at that

too

what about that horse you think you can

ride him what's so hard about riding a

horse

come on

yes sir there's a whole lot more to

being a cowboy and just smelling like

one or wearing boots for instance you

always get up on the left-hand side of a

horse

you walk up to him real easy like those

aren't spooky

go and try it boom

todd the left side dog

going boy when are you gonna get it

through that honorary head of yours

we're trying to help you

help me you you think i want to ride

that sweaty old bag of bones

i don't give a hoot whether you want to

or not you're going to you think you can

make me

you dad gum tommy toots and i can hey

what's going on

oh i don't know i've tried my best with

this boy

i can't see him do nothing to please him

huh it seems to be the trouble son look

i came out here because the sheriff made

me that doesn't mean i have to like it

now look todd when you're here in the

ponderosa

you here's a guest not as a prisoner

you're trying to remember that

howdy ben us

all right good to see you how are things

in town sheriff ready to midland

are you getting along with young todd

here oh just fine roy just fine

everything's going fine

gonna make a rancher out of them yet

aren't we todd

ben uh i've been thinking maybe i

overstepped my bounds and letting you

take that boy

well i said i'd assume full

responsibility yeah but just

the same technically you're still in my

custody

why are you figuring on sleeping him

well most of the hands are out with adam

a little john round up i

figured i'd give him the foreman's room

there so they could have a place of his

own

[Music]

seems solid enough except for that wind

in the back you can see that from your

room though can't you

now wait a minute roy this is a boy's

room it's not a jail cell

not as far as i'm concerned and ben

put a lock on that door after the kid

goes to bed night you're here

well i'll be heading back to town roy we

got some rolling table in there and

won't stay and eat with us

i wish i couldn't host but i got to get

back

i'm sorry we're late paul but todd here

couldn't quite make up his mind whether

he won't eat or not

well believe me todd i never had any

trouble like that with hoss when he was

your age

not since either

mm-hmm you know something haas this beef

is about the tastiest we've ever had

that gravy looks good too

now there's no sense in this boy i know

you're hungry why don't you sit down and

eat

do you think i'd eat at the same table

with a man that killed my father

todd we're just trying to help you can't

you understand that boy

don't do me any favors now look i'm not

afraid of you or any other cart right

and i'm not going to take orders from me

either now i i said i wasn't gonna eat

at this table and i won't

[Music]

don't let him spoil each other paul

you've done all you could

the boy's been through a pretty rough

day house

probably hasn't eaten since breakfast

maybe even longer

made up his mind to hate everything

about this place

starting with us he didn't exactly

choose to come here

[Music]

look at it another way i suppose i'd

been the one who'd been gunned down

how'd you feel about breaking bread with

luke grayson

[Music]

yeah reckon i never looked at it like

that paul

us take this supper up to the bunkhouse

boy's got to eat yes sir don't be

surprised if i come back with a finger

bit off

paul thought you might change your mind

about supper i'll bring you something to

eat

you can take it right back to him i said

i don't want anything from you

cartwrights

look todd i don't care how mad a man

gets about something

his stomach goes right on eating

something to eat you think you can make

me eat that

no no i can't and i wouldn't want to

make eat it

but if paul thought you was down here

hungry and there wasn't no food here for

you'd feel real bad about it

your father didn't care anything about

me todd

why didn't you say that what makes me

say it because it's the truth that's why

ben cartwright's a liar now you listen

here boy no you listen

you must think i'm two years old or

something you and all you talk about

about teaching me to ride well i don't

want her right see

and i've had just about enough of your

father's talk about me being a guest

here

todd he meant that you are a guest here

as far as we're concerned

oh am i i suppose you put locks on the

doors of all your guests

there's your supper you can take that

back to him and tell him i'm sick of his

kind of favors

[Music]

[Applause]

hmm

free

[Applause]

[Music]

um

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

hmm

[Music]

all right

todd what what is this

i guess you know what it is

todd listen to me somebody close don't

come any closer

don't come any closer

god give me the gun no no

oh it's all right

what's the matter this todd

stole an empty empty gun out of the

destroy

tried to kill me tried to kill you

with a little varmint where is he

outside somewhere

probably hiding like a scared animal

waiting for you and me and a does

another grown man to come

chasing after him paul you ain't gonna

just let him go are you no i'm not gonna

let him go

i'm not gonna go running after him

either paul he tried to kill you with an

empty gun yeah but paul he didn't know

he's empty dad burn it how far does your

obligation go with this please

please nothing boy after all you've done

for that boy you gave him a home you

least i could do after what i did to him

sheriff roy coffey i have to think of

his position regardless of what i think

i

i'm gonna have to tell roy what happened

probably stole one of our horses and

halfway to san francisco by now how far

do you think he could get you saw the

way he wrote didn't you

yeah but i got a sneak and hunch he

wasn't doing his best neither

well probably try to find his way back

to virginia

city and we did we'll find him there

i'm not going to run after him not

tonight anyhow

let's try to get some rest we'll go see

the show first thing in the morning

[Music]

it's getting late honey why don't you go

to bed

go to bed i haven't slept since he died

you got to go on a living kid yeah

that's just the trouble living and

thinking look at nothing but this day

and night

you really loved him didn't you

sure funny isn't it charlie

me falling in love with a guy like luke

grayson

[Music]

really wasn't much huh

couldn't keep a job always getting in

fights

always getting drunk half the time he

didn't even know i was alive

[Music]

funny isn't it charlie you're not

laughing

nope i ain't laughing

[Music]

remember how he was when he'd walk down

the street all the women would get mad

that they'd met their own husbands

i was just like him my eyes would follow

him wherever you went he was so

so tall and straight

and that smiled

[Music]

it was like that to me until the day

died

[Music]

you want another drink kid yeah i guess

so

better than trying to get to sleep

[Music]

thanks

[Music]

are you open for business you're in a

moment for business what can i do for

you

i want to buy a gun guns cost money boy

i've got money it's not much it's three

dollars but that ought to buy a gun of

some kind

i don't have a gun i can let go for

three dollars look mister any gun

an old one maybe you've got something

here somebody left on a bill or

something like that

son you might as well know i wouldn't

send a gun to

luke grayson's boy for three dollars or

three thousand dollars and nobody else

in town would either i'll just run along

and forget it

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

[Music]

my

foreign

well goodnight charlie

todd what are you doing here mind your

own business leave me alone

i thought you're in trouble what's

happened

i tried to kill ben cartwright todd

they'll catch you they'll put you in

jail

i don't care what they do to me we can't

stand there talking like this someone

will see us

here come with me

[Music]

venice just bad seed i knew luke grayson

when he mounted to something but he

still had that bad streak in him

the boy's got it now just same as the

old man had you got any idea which way

headed

well he came this way as close as we

could figure well i'll get a couple of

deputies

i'd like to have you come along horse

ben

i might as well get started good

[Music]

[Applause]

all right what happened to you well look

grayson's kid came in the store wanted

to buy a gun

i refused to sell it to him when i

turned around he hit me in the head with

an axe handle

don't you think you better have a doctor

take a look at you i don't know

kind of stunned me for a minute i kept

seeing the kid taking the gun i couldn't

make my legs work quick enough to stop

him

he took a gun that's right sick shooter

and some shells

do you know what he was doing ben you

better take him up the doctor

also go along with me all right and ben

it's not just a 16 year old boy we're

dealing with it's luke grayson's kid

he's got a loaded gun

all right roy

i asked you where did you get that gun i

told you i just got it that's all

now that you've got it what are you

gonna do with it i'm gonna kill ben

cartwright what do you think i'm gonna

do with it

listen to me i want him dead just as

much as you do

but what chance do you think a kid like

you'll have against all those grown men

all i need is just one clear shot don't

you realize that they'll cut you to

ribbons the minute you walk outside this

room

god what are you gonna do i'm getting

out of here no todd wait

there's another way what are you talking

about

if i help you will you promise me that

you'll leave virginia city and never

come back here again

how can you help me

[Music]

this is a draft on the first city bank

of san francisco

500 if i sign it it'll be payable to

bearer

500. then i was right

right about what this is my father's

money you were holding out on me

holding out on you todd i'm just trying

to help you look if my father gave you

this you keep it i don't even want to

hear about it

maybe you don't need a kid

but i do you won't need that gun

i'm on your side right diane what are

you doing here

i told you i'd be here when you needed

me i think you do now

and i know you stole that gun so does

the sheriff and he's coming to get you

i've got to get him out of here get him

to san francisco

do you think you could do it i can do it

for 500

you see i was listening outside your

door now that's not socially correct

maybe but

it's a way to find things out and you

just sign it and i'll get the kid out of

town

there's only one thing mustn't cash it

until you get to san francisco

sure i'm in no hurry what are you doing

i don't want anything from you

look my father wouldn't have anything to

do with a woman like you

now look boy you do as you're told

or i'll let the sheriff have you

[Music]

cash that for me

500 that's a lot of money you've got

that much in the till just go ahead and

cash it

i i've never seen anything quite like

this before mr cartwright

yes charlie would you take a look at

this for me yes what is it

it's a bank draft you know about these

things i wish you'd look it over he

doesn't have to look it over it's good

it's got diane jordan's signature on it

why did she give you this i don't think

that's any of your business card right

this is something to do with todd

doesn't it what's the matter card right

can't you hear good where's the boy

you've got my money i said where's the

boy

i don't like people touching me and i

don't like him grabbing my money

this is yours legitimately you'll get it

back

but not until i've talked to diane about

this

[Music]

[Applause]

here

diane are you in there diane

it's been car drive the door's open

i think this belongs to you where did

you get that

from the two-bit gunman who's been

hanging around town he tried to cash it

downstairs

he tried to cash it

but what business is it of yours

maybe i owed it to him maybe he did me a

favor once

oh did he was he about to do you a favor

like killing me it was luke's money

luke owed it to athletes diane luke

never had 50 as long as i knew him much

less 500.

get out of here i don't have to sit here

and listen to you saying these things

about luke

you killed him is that enough don't you

think the whole town knows it was you

who supported luke

don't you think they know it was you who

fed him who clothed them who even gave

him his drinking money

and all the time he didn't even know you

were alive

that's not true luke was good to me

he loved me did he do you think luke was

capable of loving anyone

or even the thinking of anyone other

than himself stop that

i won't listen to you saying such things

i won't listen to you here i won't

listen

diane you know that what i'm saying is

the truth

i wonder you're gonna have to face that

truth

where's the boy

here cartwright it's easy to lie about a

man when he's dead and can't talk back

isn't it

god put away that gun i'll put it away

after i kill you

and this time i'm not gonna miss this

time i got bullets in the gun

don't wait todd stop

he killed my father you're forgetting

that no i'm not forgetting but

everything he said about your father was

true no it's a bag of lies

no it wasn't the pack of lots look i

knew your father better than anyone in

the whole

world it wasn't any good

just like ben cartwright said he was no

good

no you're lying he he sent me money he

wanted me to come out here and live with

him

he never sent you a dime every honest

dollar that luke got he drank faster

than he could walk to the post office

that 500 that i gave to apple was mine

the money the check that you got every

month to keep you in school

that was mine even the money that she

was sent to bring you back here to

virginia city was my

see i thought if he saw his own son that

would help him straighten out

it couldn't be if he was so bad why

would you why did i stick to it

because i loved it

i loved it the first moment i saw it

[Music]

with the gun boy

keep trying to remember him the way i

wanted him to be

[Music]

he was such a wonderful man

such a rotten lousy

stinking wonderful man

[Applause]

[Music]

paul you all right charlie just told us

what happened

yeah i'm all right that boy uh he's

gonna be all right now too

i'm still gonna have to take him in ben

he stole the gun

did he roy an empty gun

now what do you think that would be

worth the lives of two people

i guess it ain't worth a thing then

oh roya in case you happen to think

about it that uh horse of ours

the boy didn't steal it i just gave it

to him

that right house yes sir that's right

roy you you tell him to write him out

and pay us a visit and tell him to bring

his new mom

[Music]

you

Behind the Scenes of The Blood Line

Among the Cartwright family, Pernell Roberts and Michael Landon do not appear in any part of this episode. In one scene, Ben mentioned that Adam and Little Joe were away on a roundup with some of the ranch hands.

This episode marks Lee Van Cleef’s (Appling), Jan Sterling’s (Dianne Jordan), and David Macklin’s (Todd Grayson) only appearances in the series.

Looking for More Bonanza Episodes?

Bonanza, which tells the adventures of the Cartwright family, is a fantastic show to watch alone or with your family and friends. All 14 seasons ran on the NBC network from September 1959 to January 1973. The Blood Line is the 47th episode out of 430 and the fifteenth for the second season.

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