| abstract | - Curtis Wade has taken over the Pony Express office and his ego gets in the way of good judgment. Egged on by a journalist from the East, Wade is determine to keep the service running despite attacks by the Paiute Indians. This could proved deadly for Express rider Little Joe. At Ludlow’s funeral Ben is giving a eulogy, Wade commends him on his words. Wade tells Ben that the Pony Express should continue but Ben still resists due to the tensions with the Indians and questions Wade’s efforts whether he’s really doing it for himself rather than Ludlow. Joe continues with his schedule for the pony express and before he reaches Indian Wells he blows his bugle to signal his approach, the signal is returned and Joe gets off his horse at the way station to get on a fresh horse. However there is an Indian behind the guard propping him up and he has a bugle in his hand. Joe sees him and then another Indian appears in front of his horse, he shoots the Indian in front of him and jumps on the horse he just came off and rides off. When he gets to town he passes his mail to Hoke who rides off but Joe needs to tell Wade about the troubles at Indian Wells. Aaron Bornstein’s father has arrived in town to see his son and eagerly waits for him to return from one of his runs. Wade tells Tully it’s the third station he’s lost. Aaron rides in and passes his mail to the next rider and Joe shouts him over that his father is in town, however Aaron ignores him and heads straight for the water trough. He holds his neck cloth to his face and his father is concerned, Aaron coughs and tells his father he’s having a nose bleed. Joe is concerned as he keeps coughing, Joe tells Ben that it’s probably due to the long rides they have to make and that another rider called Herb is the same. Hoss is concerned about Indian Wells. At the saloon Aaron is drinking with his father and coughs, he tells his father it due to the dust. Wade comes in and chides his men for drinking so some of them leave. Joe asks for a beer but Hoss follows Wade out of the saloon and tells him that he wants a job to guard the Indian Wells way station. Hoss is concerned that his friends as well as his little brother ride through there and wants to make sure they have fresh horses when the pass through. Wade agrees and tells Hoss he’s got a surprise for Winnamacca. Joe visits Jabez’s room, it’s dark and he smells of liquor. Joe opens the blind to let the light in and opens the window, Jebez starts to close the blind but Joe stops him and asks him what’s happened to him. Jabez drowns in his sorrow, and blames himself for the death of his father. Joe tells him it wasn’t his fault, but Jabez tells Joe he may not have put the arrows in him but it was his fault. Joe chides him, and reminds him about the Jabez he knew when he first met him, Jabez wallows in his own self pity now he can’t ride a horse. Joes tells him the trouble isn’t with his leg it’s with his guts. Jabez tells Joe what can he do, so Joe tells him he can still think, he also tells him that he can go to Indian Wells and help out Hoss and defend it, Joe tells Jabez that he was wrong about killing his father but he sure is killing his memory. Jabez asks Joe when he wants him at Indian Wells. Hoss rides out to Indian Wells with a group of men, and roust out the Indians there. Hoss finds Herb hanging upside down. The table is laid for one but no one is sitting there, Hop Sing stares at the untouched food and shouts over to Ben, but Ben is tranced and staring at nothing in particular. Hop Sing is concerned that he’s not eating and looks sad all the time. Ben tells Hop Sing to listen to the house, the silence of it. He reminds Hop Sing about the time when they built the Ponderosa with Marie and Little Joe filling the house with happiness, love and family, Hop Sing agrees that he doesn’t like the silence either. Ben looks at the table, Hop Sing tries to get Ben to eat something but there’s a knock at the door and it’s Wade. Wade has come to appeal to Ben to give him fresh horses and he’s also after money, Ben asks him how much he is after and he tells Ben he needs about $5,000 - $6,000. Ben tells him that he can give him 10-12 horses, and that he’s already given him most of his ready cash to the pony express but if he gives him anymore then it might put the Ponderosa in jeopardy. Ben tells him he didn’t say he wouldn’t give him the money since he has two sons working for the express, so he gives Wade $5,000 and the horses he requires. The next day, Ben arrives in town with the horses he promises and bumps into Aaron’s father again. A bugle sounds signalling the return of a rider, it’s Aaron and as he passes the mail to the next rider he falls from his horse, there’s blood coming out of his nose. Aaron gets up and shouts for his father before collapsing again. His father cradles him up but it’s too late, he mourns for his son and wonders why he’s crying when he should be proud. Ben can only watch helplessly as they carry Aaron away. Wade is speaking to the press, they shower him with praise for his efforts and that he’s the hero of the moment. Tully tells Wade he’s on the verge of getting the subsidy from the Government but he needs more money to do it. Wade tells him he doesn’t have any, but Tully knows Ben gave him money and that it’s the back pay for the riders since they haven’t been paid in months. Tully convinces Wade to hand over the $5,000 Ben gave him with some hesitation. At Indian Wells everyone is busy getting the station back to working order and they’ve brought in a cannon. The watchman on the roof spots a pair of Indians and they’re dragging something, Jebez tells them to bring over the cannon, they fire it and the Indians go down. Two men ride out to get the body and they also bring back an Indian with them. Jebez identifies the dead man as Pat, another one of their riders. The Indian they brought back is still alive, and one of the men recognise the Indian as Winnamacca’s son Bear Dance, they tie him up. Joe and Hoke are both waiting for their respective mail deliveries, Hoke rides one way and Joe rides the other, the rider who give his mail bag to Joe warns him that there are Indians on the trail but Joe doesn’t hear. Tully brings Wade bad news that they won’t get the subsidy due to the Civil War. Wade declares that no one will stop him, and Tully tells him that he would need to do something spectacular. Wade tells Tully about Winnamucca. Ben rides into town, and bumps into Hoss at the supply store, he tells Hoss that he misses him. He asks about Joe but Hoss tells Ben not to worry. A rider comes over to Hoss and tells him to hurry up and get to the way station as they’re about to hang Winnamucca’s son and Wade is there with the press. Ben and Hoss ride out. Joe is taking the trail when Winnamacca spots him, his men chase Joe and another Indian shoots at Joe horse causing it to rear up and he falls off, he’s taken by the Indians. Wade puts a noose around Bear Dance's neck and makes a speech to the press. The watchman spots Indians and they arrive on the cliff ledge with Joe. Joe walks out and climbs down in front of the way station, he’s brought them a message. Winnamacca will trade Joe’s life for Bear Dance’s and will stop his raids on the express and talk peace. Ben and Hoss arrive at the way station. Wade doesn’t believe Winnamacca and tells Joe to run, but Joe reminds Wade that Winnamacca wants to talk peace. Wade tells Joe he’s tricking them just to get his son back alive. He tells his men to get ready to fire. Wade attempts to spook the horses so Bear Dance will hang when they run. Hoss stands in front of the horses to stop them from moving. Ben intervenes and stops Wade and frees Bear Dance. Bear Dance runs to his father and as he passes Joe they give each other a static wave. Ben is happy to see Joe is fine and hugs him. Ben waves to Winnamacca and Winnamacca acknowledges him and then leaves with his people. With Wade spent on the ground, the press leave without a story. Joe asks Jebez if he’s going to keep the express going, and he confirms he will.
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