Bonanza, a Western series that initially aired back in the late 1950s, tells the story of the fictional Cartwright family and their connection with the surrounding community. The fifty-ninth episode, The Gift, written by Denne Petitclerc and Thomas Thompson, aired for the first time on April 1, 1961. However, its first appearance was supposedly on March 18, 1961.

Joe Cartwright travels to Yuma, Arizona, determined to capture a white Arabian stallion for his father’s birthday. Unbeknownst to the young Cartwright, it will be a dangerous trip for him. En route, renegade Indians attacked Joe, which led his life to the hands of Emeliano (Martin Landau), the mercurial Mexican who raised the horse he’s going after.

Jim Davis plays Sam Wolfe, Jack Hogan plays Cash, and Joe Yrigoyen plays Cayetano.

Read The Gift‘s plotline, including behind-the-scenes information, or view the episode below.

Watch the Full Episode of The Gift

Watch the Full Episode of The Gift:

Main Cast

The Gift, the twenty-seventh episode of Bonanza’s second season, featured the following actors:

• Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
• Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
• Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
• Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright
• Martin Landau as Emeliano
• Jim Davis as Sam Wolfe
• Jack Hogan as Cash Wolfe
• Robert Christopher as Lieutenant
• Joe Yrigoyen as Cayetano
• Felipe Turich as Jail Guard
• Bob Miles as Chet, Wounded Soldier
• Eumenio Blanco as Comanchero (uncredited)
• Bill Clark as Comanchero (uncredited)
• Jaye Durkus as Comanchero (uncredited)
• Kay Koury as Townswoman (uncredited)
• Daniel Nunez as Townsman (uncredited)
• John Quijada as Comanchero (uncredited)

Full Story Line for The Gift

Hoss and Adam wake up in a hotel room, discussing the surprise birthday gift, a white stallion, that Joe has to get from Yuma, Arizona. Ben is outside when a rider arrives at Fort Tyson with an arrow in his back. The citizens gather to hear the man as he reports about the renegade Indians assaulting and killing all whites they find at the fort and Yuma.

The news worries the Cartwrights, especially Ben. He prepares his things, planning on going with the army to look for Little Joe. Adam and Hoss try to calm him down, but Ben can only rant about his sons being stubborn, putting themselves in danger. Adam and Hoss reveal that Joe went to Yuma to get him the birthday present they’ve planned since the year before. It’s their way of saying they loved their father since they couldn’t find themselves saying the words directly. Ben says, “Old fools make poor dads,” overwhelmed with emotions, then leaves with his jam-packed saddlebags.

Meanwhile, Joe and Emeliano, the Mexican care owner of the stallion ( which he calls The Big White One), try to evade the renegade Indians as they travel in the desert. They eventually run out of water, so Emeliano suggests they go to Sam Wolfe and his group of ruthless Comancheros. Emeliano reveals that he used to ride with the group until Colonel Greene gave him a job. Although they both know it’ll be dangerous, Joe agrees to give it a shot.

Meanwhile, the Lieutenant in Fort Tyson couldn’t organize a search for Little Joe as he needed his troops to guard the fort. Ben has no choice but to find Joe himself. Adam and Hoss couldn’t let their father search for their youngest alone, so they joined him despite his initial hesitance.

Once they’ve reached the camp of the Comancheros, Emeliano asks for water, which Sam immediately grants to his old friend. As for Joe, he’ll need to give all his money and the stallion to get water. Joe refuses, then punches Sam, but the gang members knock down him and Emeliano. They have the two locked in a shack while Sam and his younger brother Cash enjoy the beauty of the white stallion.

Sam offers Emeliano a chance to rejoin his gang. Meanwhile, he plans to use Joe as the turkey in a turkey shoot. Emeliano asks about the white horse, to which Sam replies as his property. Emeliano tells him that the horse means a lot to him, so Sam gives him time to consider his offer.

When Sam leaves, Joe suggests Emeliano take Sam’s offer to keep himself alive. However, Emeliano believes he’d rather die than surrender the horse to a beast like Wolfe. Emeliano also thinks that Joe giving the white horse to his father moved his heart, considering Emeliano has always wanted a son too. He then lures a guard over the shack. Although the guard recognized his escape attempt, Emeliano managed to stab him in the back, allowing them to escape.

Joe and Emeliano head to the corral to get their horses. Joe finds Cash whipping the white stallion tied to a post. The two engage in a fight. When Joe gains the upper hand, he hits Cash towards the stallion, who stomped him multiple times. Only Emeliano was capable of calming the horse down. Before the other bandits chase them, Joe and Emiliano ride away with their horses. Sam heads out of his shack after hearing the commotion. Seeing his young brother’s dead body made him furious. With all his Comancheros, Sam heads off after Joe and Emeliano, determined to avenge his brother’s death.

Joe and Emiliano head for the rocky part of the canyon to get away from the Comancheros. Emeliano makes Joe take the stallion, as it’s fast enough, and believes they’re worthy of having the horse rather than Sam. Joe refuses to leave him, so Emeliano forces him at gunpoint. With no choice, Joe leaves, assuring Emeliano that they’d take care of his white stallion.

After Joe leaves, the other half of Sam Wolfe’s men arrive, shooting Emeliano. They see Joe running through the desert, so Sam orders his men with the fastest horses to give them his horses as he chases after Joe.

Meanwhile, Ben, Hoss, and Adam find Emeliano lying face down on the ground. With his remaining strength, Emeliano tells them about a boy on a white horse. Ben tells him that it is his son, allowing Emeliano to understand that they are his family. He had no chance because his horse was tired, so he let Joe ride the faster white stallion, believing the horse would be happy at the Ponderosa. Tearful, Emeliano eventually falls to his death.

Sam’s other Comancheros reach the Cartwrights, pinning the Cartwrights to a gunfight. Ben runs off alone to follow Joe, leaving Adam and Hoss to finish with Sam’s bandits.

Seeing the white stallion moving farther, Sam had no choice but to shoot the horse down. The horse isn’t dead but is slowly dying. Joe uses his last bullet to put the great horse out of his suffering. Little Joe starts running while Sam watches him with a fresh horse from afar.

The heat of the desert sun and lack of water caused Joe to stumble, falling to the ground. He falls on the dry brown grass, discovering a nearby stream that has allowed the crops to grow. Joe rushes towards the water with excitement, but Sam gets him with a lasso, tying his limbs so he wouldn’t get to the water.

Sam heads for the stream to fill his container of water. Shadow tips over him, not knowing it is Ben Cartwright, the father of the man he just tied. Upon seeing Ben’s cold demeanor, Sam claims Joe is a horse thief. However, Ben declares Joe is his son. Sam immediately draws his gun, but not fast enough to shoot Ben, who shot him dead. Ben rushes to untie Joe and helps him drink water. Joe tells Ben about the horse and Emeliano, and Ben informs him he knows everything. Ben also sadly declares Emeliano’s death. Joe lets Ben know that the horse was supposedly his present, but seeing his youngest alive is enough gift for Ben.

Adam and Hoss arrive shortly after and help Joe to the horse. Ben kneels near the stream to fill his canteen, stares at the heaven above, and says, “Thanks.”

Full Script and Dialogue of The Gift

[Music]
bye
[Music]
[Applause]
throw me that towel
where's papa you're there who are they
like did you hear him
i think he's still frightened about
little joe yeah i know he uh
he was asking we were driving the horses
in yesterday why joe went to yuma
you didn't tell him did you no sense of
spilling the beans at this point
yeah even so i showed her heat to see
paul's worried
you know you know what anything could
have happened little joe do you know he
can take care of himself don't worry
just think i was going to be when he
rides in the town and passes what he's
brought in
yeah i ain't talking much else all week
[Music]
corporal
check where did it happen it's two days
south of here sir
cochise has got the whole apache nation
stirred up burned our wagons
[Applause]
a patcher between here and humor
right he knows anything about little joe
i don't know what i'm
gonna ask hey you're two men get under
the company doc
be careful lieutenant
i'd like to ask the scott my youngest
son is in human he's two days overdue
getting back
they just told me there isn't a white
man between here and humor that's left
alive now
[Music]
so
[Music]
[Applause]
there
[Music]
you're planning on going with them yes i
am planning on going with them
in that case are we you two will stay
right here and keep an eye on those
horses we bought
it's quite enough that one of my sons
wouldn't do as he was told paul
adams and me been throwing it over and
we think there's something i never
raised a pack of
stubborn mule headed stump brain ah i
told him once i told him ten times wait
here at tyson wells i said wait here i
said
oh no he's gotta run off somewhere can't
stay put does my words mean anything
around here anymore what
paul me and adam want to tell you
something if you're calm down i am calm
you're shouting i'm not shouting
what is that you want to tell me we want
to tell you why joe went to yuma
well it's about time somebody started
telling me something around here
poi was a kind of a secret between adam
and me and
joe and now will you two make sense
we're we're trying to paul you
joe went to human to buy a horse a horse
jumping jerose of it
haven't we bought enough arizona horses
in the last week to keep the ponderosa
overrun with horses for the next 10
years
paul this wasn't just any horse
it was a it was a gift for you
a gift for your birthday we uh
we've been planning it since last year
we even wrote ever every horse breeder
from here to kentucky yeah you see we
wanted it to be the greatest horse we
could find
we wanted him to want him to say
something that
we just couldn't say what was it you
couldn't say
paul we i reckon we
we just didn't know how to say we loved
you
fools make poor fathers
[Music]
um
[Music]
apache
they destroy everything always
did you know these people see
a good man
his wife
two little girls
[Music]
they had a good place here
we gotta find some water ow
the apache between us and fortnite
the horses are so thirsty and
ah
my young friend is thirsty too here have
a drink a big drink
now look i had my share i'll go ahead
we'll split it you first
thanks i felt like i drowned on all this
water
um maybe we can ride around the apache
there's no writing around him
cochise and his men are everywhere they
will not stop
until the army stops them
probably get pretty thirsty waiting for
that
getting thirsty if we try to go back
[Music]
you're pretty sorry i left colonel green
uh no
wherever the big white one is
that's where i belong
that's all the water you got oh that's
all right
i had my share it's better for him than
me
you really think a lot of that horse
don't you he is my life amigo
we understand each other this horse and
me
better to have a horse like this than to
be born rich
well rich or poor only last another day
in the sun
see but the horse is sworn
amigo i know where there's some water
how far is it right in here very
dangerous
perhaps too dangerous the apaches huh no
voice comancheros bandits
these men do not fear your apache
they're great with them
they have a camp in those mountains over
there they sound like real nice
playmates
how do you have to know where the camp
is because i was once one of them
you were a comanchero some call it that
some say i was a bandito but whatever
you call it
whenever they catch one they put a rope
around his neck see
i was caught it was conor green who
caught me down
give me a job i have not
been back to that camp in the hills
since
oh what chance do you think we have with
him does the kangaroo mouse have a
chance with a rattlesnake
well perhaps a little one
um our rattlesnake is a man called
samwolf
you know that name sure i've heard the
name samwolf but
i thought it was a legend not a real man
he is a king here
cruel cunning delhi is a desert
even cochise fears him i wish there was
some other way
well there's one other way
what one is an amigo can i ask the
apache for some water
[Laughter]
well we go this way to see the bandidos
[Music]
the indians are still raiding some
isolated ranches and settlements if they
decide to raid tyson wells
i'll need every soldier i have here i'm
sorry but my hands are tied
i appreciate your position lieutenant
good luck and as soon as i can i'll put
my troops at your disposal
thank you lieutenant
[Music]
you weren't figuring on leaving without
us were you
[Music]
i thought i told you two to stay with
the horses you hear him tell us that
i don't recall hearing nothing like that
looks like you're gonna have some
company whether you want it or not if
all three of us right out of here today
it's likely that none of us will ever
get back our place is with you no matter
what happens
paul you you can't ride out here without
us don't you understand what i'm trying
to tell you
yes sir we understand but we also
understand that little joe's in trouble
he might even be dead i i don't know but
i do know one thing
whatever has happened to little joe's
happened to all of us and we're still a
family
yeah yeah we're still a family
let's go
no no don't like surprised they've been
watching us for half an hour pretend
we're expected
that's a little tough to do when
somebody's shooting at you we're safe
for a while they will not harm us at
least not until they take what they can
get from us
who have your rifles
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
look at that white horse sam yeah that's
it
sam i gotta have that horse prettiest
animal ever saw him my whole life
i've seen it before it's colonel green's
horse
[Music]
and if i'm not mistaken that's emiliano
there with it
milano put that thing away boy
milano was a good man
might be again with a little persuading
[Applause]
well if it ain't my old friend emiliano
como stanley go
this is my friend senor joe carter
of nevada i'm sam wolf
this is my camp here not much of a camp
but
it's all we got actually all we wanted
was some water for ourselves and our
horses
what makes you think you're going to get
any you stay out of this
so you want water huh that's right
well i got water oh it's kind of hard to
come by in this country you know
we've got money we're willing to pay for
it what do we want with your stinking
money could kill you and take it
just that simple remind this cop to whom
he speaks amigo
i never like him
he's off and you take it easy
you know what i'd do to anybody who ever
touched my little brother if you want
him to stay on touch tell him to keep
his mouth shut
well you sure ain't changed now and have
emiliano
i thought colonel green would have
beaten the backbone right out of you by
now
takes a great deal to change your mind
senor
i am thirsty my horses are thirsty
my friend is thirsty
bring me some water you ain't gonna do
just as i tell you
sam wolf never let a friend of his go
thirsty in the desert
only they're just one thing mr
cartwright
this year camp gun out of the way you
know
might expensive bringing in supplies
business ain't been too good lately yeah
how much you want all you got
[Applause]
well now this is mighty nice must be
several hundred dollars in here
only ain't enough well that's all we've
got
not all friend you got something there
that's better than money
i'll take that there white horse and you
can have all the water you can drink
nobody touches that horse
i'm sorry you ain't got no choice
i got him sam i got here good night matt
harsh kid
now i seen him first i said get away
he's my horse and don't you forget it
[Music]
[Applause]
oh
[Music]
another one across the street but he's
asleep i have observed him
how tough it'd be to get the one outside
the door well it would be difficult
but our friends were very careless
and i'm kind of glad you're on my side
emiliano no it is are you unfortunate
someone comes get back to me
well there's a wolf fear the rabbit soul
emiliano you're the only rabbit that i
ever saw that could bite
i accept a compliment amigo
i met it as one how's your friend
will leave not for long
tomorrow we'll have a turkey shoot and
he'll be our turkey
we will make excellent targets amigo i
didn't mean you emiliano
i'm giving you a chance to live you're a
good man i always liked you
i want you to come back and join up with
us emiliano
i'll split with you sam before
what if this one
i'll give you the first shot if you're a
friend of his
be over with quick and the white horse
uh-uh that one's mine
this horse means much to me amigo
watches your life
perhaps
i'll give you until noon to take it over
meliano
adios
there's a nice fella turkey shooter
this is his favorite sport they let a
turkey run across the desert and
shoot at them with rifles how does the
turkey ever get away
it has never been known to happen amigo
i'll give you a run for your money me
muchacho
you got the first shot
i did not say i would take it look he
offered you your life
what is that life without honor
you know my father used to read me a
passage from the bible
when something like it's better to be a
living dog than a dead lion
you got to think about it
look at me amigo look at me
outside in the quran is a great horse
tell me have you ever seen such a horse
no i haven't but and this horse
this speaks to me sings to me
you understand yeah i understand
now do you do you think i will let a
a pig like this a beast like this wolf
have this horse
no i would rather die first
look at me amigo i have always wanted a
sun my
own all my life i am too ugly to
even have a wife
to think my voice will be a gift from a
boy to his father
this moves me amigo fear nothing amigo
i feel for you like i'm with my own son
let's see if i get out of here then
what do you want little toads some of
that was your drink for a favor
ugly one who are you to ask a favor of
me
uh i have money here on my hand let me
see your money
your first bottle come on give me the
water
no i know i know
all brother of toads you want to escape
you want to go ahead try it
i'll kill you
[Music]
get him out of sight right
any trouble no difficulty your former
owner will not be needing this
you know where the horses this way
[Music]
oh
you got pretty good senior yeah well i
went from an expert
i'm gonna find that horse i'm not gonna
leave here without him i'm glad that you
say that
neither am i like we'll split up and
meet back here later
all right
[Music]
come on
[Music]
oh
[Music]
chill out here
[Music]
[Music]
uh
hold on
oh hold on oh
we got plenty trouble now amigo
crocodile
you take the big one
stop firing right arrows
[Music]
[Music]
[Applause]
no no
[Music]
get my horse cayetano see heffy
take him in the house
every man rides
[Music]
how many count this
and this yeah i got the same
the horses are tired i think we should
fire some shots have them scatter
then we ride on right
[Music]
what do you make of that ah it's an old
trick
they have split up there's a way around
this mesa if four of them ride fast they
can be waiting for us when we come out
of the canyon
we just can't sit here and wait for will
from the others to catch up to us you
got a plan
suppose we ride down through the canyon
go as fast as we can to the other end
and wait for them
the big white one you can make it that
fast my horse too slow too tired
all right you follow me get there as
quick as you can what are the others
behind you
i guess he'll be long
that's what i like about you amigo you
do not worry about tomorrow until
tomorrow gets here
let's just hope it gets here
[Music]
hold on back with a couple of shots
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Music]
um
so
you're a good general amigo they come to
surprise you and you surprise him huh
yeah still three of them
thanks name was rafael i
always plan to kill him someday anyway
well that leaves one more
must be cayetano he was always a good
friend to me
i will hate to have to kill him
sometimes i just can't figure you out of
milliana
why i'm a simple man i have my loves my
ace mostly i look out for my own hide
they will be coming from our back soon
yoni we're not going to be here let's go
no show
that cayetano is the best shot of them
all
easy easy rest amigo rest
we'll be riding out soon
[Music]
hey you know when we get back home
first coal from that big white one's
gonna be yours oh no i'm eager
that is too much no insist
you cannot do that this horse belongs to
your father when i like it no he's not
gonna mind
that's a promise you're gonna get the
first cold
your father must be a very rare man
amigo
yeah i think so i think you'll think so
too
[Music]
when one is young there is always hope
amigo
when one gets older and tired he does
what he must do
well let's get here i'm sorry
you're a good man amigo i wish things
could have been different
what's this all about
get on the big white one amigo and right
there's a chance
i'd rather let you have them give them
to some wolf what's the matter with you
you think i'd ride off and leave you
you have no choice someone could not
offer you a job
a job we killed his brother you know i
haven't got a chance back yes i do
i will become a bandito again it is a
good life amigo
you take care of this horse amigo or i
will come for you myself
the ponderosa is not that far away
or i'll kill you now it'll make me stand
big in the eyes of some wolf
you take your choice amigo
[Applause]
[Music]
don't worry i'll take care of him
right
[Music]
adios white what
[Applause]
ah
[Music]
that's the most powerful horse i ever
saw
take at least three horses to run him
down
you two got the fastest horses get off
and give me the reins
leave the canteens on
might take me two or three days to run
him down
oh
the brother i should have known
you are a close family you saw my son
see stay here he ride to the desert
they chase him if you hurry
what are you trying to say
there was no other way my horse
was tired but alone
and the big white one there was a chance
you did this reload joe
see see i'm the big white one
he is a fine horse amigo
your son he tell me of the pandora's
the big horse he will be happy there
i
yeah i'll tell them
[Music]
stay there adam
i gotta get a little joe paul you'll
never make it i gotta spin down tight
about half tired of this yeah it's not
getting us any closer little joe either
yeah listen adam
why don't you cover me and i'll try
you're too big a target
[Music]
paw
[Music]
[Music]
there's one left he's over there behind
that rock
all right i drive him out and you nail
it okay wait wait wait
okay
[Music]
so
so
[Music]
so
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
huh
hmm
i'm sorry
[Music]
hmm
um
[Music]
hmm
[Music]
my
[Music]
you
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
huh
uh
[Music]
uh
[Music]
[Applause]
well howdy friend
i uh i just finished me off a horse safe
caught him stealing my horses last night
you're a liar
now lucky friend that kind of talk's
gonna get you into a lot of trouble
like i said he's a heart safe
he's my son
that's enough for now
but i tried to get through never mind
that nelson
i had to talk it was a vaquero with me
emiliano i know i i talked with him but
he's alive that
no i he wanted you on the horse to get
through
emiliano
he was a good friend
like he really loved that horse
he was such a beautiful horsepower
read his heart out for me i know son
already we wanted to get me that horse
[Music]
i tried not to lose it
what would i give them to you as a gift
i have my gift son
joe he's all right boys let's get him
home
[Music]
[Applause]
thanks
[Music]
so
[Music]
you

Behind the Scenes of The Gift

Seeing the horse dying in agony, Little Joe uses his “last bullet” to kill the white stallion to end its pain. He shoots the horse and throws his pistol, which he renders useless now. However, the audience can see the back of his gunbelt full of bullets as he walks toward the horse. (Joe doesn’t have any ammunition on his gun belt; those were only evenly-spaced rivets.)

When Little Joe and his friend, Emeliano, escape from the shack, Joe drags the right-handed Commanchero inside, then emerges with a left-handed pistol belt.

The top of the background set piece is visible when Sam Wolfe tries to take the white stallion, causing the horse to rear up in aggression.

The Bible verse Little Joe claims his father, Ben, taught him comes from the second half of Ecclesiastes 9:4.

Looking for More Bonanza Episodes?

Bonanza, the iconic Western television program, is an excellent series to binge-watch alone or with the people you love. NBC was behind the production of this show, televising all 14 seasons on their network from September 1959 to January 1973. The Gift is the 59th of 430 episodes and the twenty-seventh for its second season.

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