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>>