Cheyenne’s new job with a rancher includes unusual duties, like marrying the rancher’s daughter.
Episode Notes[]
- Nancy Kulp of the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies has a small comic role in this episode.
- Cheyenne is a chess hustler.
- This episode is retold in Cheyenne Comic Number 1.
Real World References[]
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Continuity Nitpicks[]
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Plot[]
A misunderstanding involving a door, a pair of boots, a tamale and a short, forgetful man introduces Cheyenne to a handsome, young Mexican named Johnny Bravo. The two cowboys head to the local saloon to enjoy a drink but once there local jerk Ben Taggert and his two toughs pick a fight with them. The fight spills out onto the street and a crowd gathers as Cheyenne gives the toughs a thrashing.
Taggert refuses to drink at the same bar with Johnny Bravo.
One of the crowd is rancher Matt Crowley who is impressed with the tall cowboy's moves. Crowley finds Cheyenne eating dinner at the local cafe and offers him a job as ranch foreman. Bodie declines because he's already been hired on another job as trail boss. Shortly after Crowley leaves, his current boss, Tom Lovelace, drops by and tells Cheyenne he can't afford to keep him on. Suddenly unemployed, Bodie heads back to the hotel only to find Crowley waiting for him. Cheyenne accepts Crowley's job offer and in the morning is off to the Circle M Ranch. In the ranch house, Crowley shows him a map of the spread which was once known as the Ortega Grant. Crowley hopes to give a portion of his land known as Tamarac to his daughter and whomever she choses to marry, but right now Taggert is squatting there with a counterclaim of ownership.
Crowley introduces Bodie to his daughter, Molly, who gives him a cold welcome. While she leads him on a tour of the ranch on horseback, Cheyenne learns he's the latest in a long string of single men Crowley has hired in the hope of marrying Molly off. Not happy he's been hired under false pretenses, he tells Crowley he quits and rides away leaving Crowley spitting mad. Bodie doesn't go far until he runs into Taggert and his toughs again; they beat him up and leave him unconscious.
Taggert and his men gang up on Cheyenne, thinking he works for Crowley.
Meanwhile, Molly and Johnny meet in Crowley's barn. The pair are in love and planning to elope. Johnny expresses his misgivings about asking Molly to leave her posh life for the rough existence of a homesteader. Molly takes his concern as rejection, but they are interrupted when Cheyenne's horse wanders into the barn sans Cheyenne. Johnny rides out, finds Bodie unconscious and brings him back to the ranch.
As he's healing up in a ranch house bedroom, Cheyenne overhears Johnny and Molly having a lover's quarrel. He promises Molly that he won't reveal their affair to her father. The next day over a game of chess, Cheyenne accepts Crowley's job offer a second time, but on condition that he won't try to fix Bodie up with Molly. When Cheyenne asks about his prejudice against Mexicans, Crowley explains his hate is because a Mexican killed his son. Marshal Arnett interrupts them to deliver good news to Crowley. He has documentation from Santa Fe that Taggert's claim on Tamarac land has been voided. The marshal volunteers to head out and evict Taggert by himself.
Johnny tries to drag Matt Crowley to safety.
That night Johnny and Molly tell Crowley about their love and the cranky old man immediately goes for his gun. Johnny wrestles it away from him and Cheyenne pulls the two of them apart. Their fight is interrupted by a knock on the door and the sounds of boisterous cheering and galloping horses. Marshal Arnett has been deposited on Crowley's doorstep, beaten to death.
The next day, Crowley and Bodie ride off to Tamarac to give Taggert an ultimatum: he has one hour to get off Crowley's land. Taggert declines and his men start shooting. Cheyenne and Crowley shoot back and Crowley holds up in a shed that Taggert starts on fire. Johnny rides up and joins in the fight. Crowley tries to escape the fire but is shot and falls back inside. Johnny enters the engulfed building and while pulling the old man out is overcome with smoke. Cheyenne shoots Taggert and then pulls both Crowley and Johnny out of the flames.
Molly rides up and sees her father breathing his last. He gives approval to the union of Molly and Johnny and dies knowing that his ranch is in good hands.
Quotes[]
"You sure acted like a Crowley man yesterday."
"This is today."
"Ho ho, clever. Don't you think he's clever, boys?"
"Just about too clever to live."
"All right, so you think I'm clever, and I like you too. You'll give me back my gun I'll be glad to get off your land."
- - Ben Taggert and one of his men annoy Cheyenne.
"How does this doo-ma-diddle go again?"
"Diagonal on the black squares."
[moves chess piece] "What's the word you use when you got the other fellow whipsawed?"
"Checkmate."
"That's right. Checkmate."
- - Cheyenne beats Crowley in chess.
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