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Bob Hoy
The High Chaparral
The Covey Episode 2.34 Note: Several great scenes between Joe and Sam, including a drunken fist-fight
The two men return to their camp, which is the hiding place of the Mexican bandit, El Lobo. El Lobo has escaped from the prison that Manolito helped put him in. He is not very anxious to come out of hiding on the American side of the border, no matter how rich the pack train sounds, or how low on bullets the men are. But when he hears that it belongs to the High Chaparral and Manolito is with them, he perks up considerably. He wants Manolito taken alive.
It's a hot day and the mules are drying up. The first water hole they get to has been poisoned - El Lobo's way of forcing the High Chaparral men closer to his ambush. He sends some of his bandidos to chase "his covey of quail" into a canyon. He proposes to let time and the heat do the work for him, and also sends some men to the top of the gorge to make his victims "uncomfortable." But the mountain men are in a hurry. They try to convince Lobo's woman, Pilar, to kill the Jefe and let them take over. Pilar proves she is a true student of El Lobo, and shoots both schemers without blinking an eye. The High Chaparral crew are
running out of bullets and water. Sam says they can't hold out much longer. Since it might be their final hour, Joe's decides its time to
square his debt with his brother - he guesses he did borrow that five
dollars after all. "Give it to me later - if there is a later." Sam tells
him. "'Cause where I'm going everything is free. But where you're going -
you might need five dollars."
Buck has fashioned a sort of slingshot with the branches and guitar strings from the instrument Blue has been torturing. He uses this to fire the dynamite at Lobo's men as they ride toward them. Those of Lobo's men that aren't killed turn tail and run. Manolito faces El Lobo, but says he feels guilty for his last betrayal of the bandit, and lets him go. Pilar, however, decides to stay with Mano. He is happy with this arrangement for the length of one kiss, then joins his friends as he tells her to enjoy her walk into Tucson.
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Buck
Cannon is leading a pack mule train into Tucson to stock up on supplies.
While the ranch hands head to the "water hole" Buck goes to the general
store to stock up on shells but finds to his dismay that two mountain men
have bought out the entire supply. Manolito finds a willing lady to occupy
his time within
minutes. In the Saloon, Joe and Sam are already well-lubricated and having a
glorious fist-fight over five dollars that Joe does not recollect Sam
lending
him and a girl they both covet who has already moved on. Buck informs Blue
that they will be leaving the next morning at six - there is a chance of
rain, which means floods. When he finds the mountain men he tries to talk
them into selling even one case of shells at double the price, but they
aren't interested. From the minute they laid eyes on the fine animals of the
High Chaparral mule team, the pair have other ideas.
The next morning, the bunkhouse
boys are trying to sooth their hangovers in the nearest trough. Buck
is unsympathetic both about the state of their heads and the fact that no
one can find Manolito. The missing lover comes running to join them at the
last minute with the boyfriend of his latest conquest hot on his heels.
They
are all fading fast - but Buck has a plan. He sends Blue to get a stick from
a sapling and Pedro to get some branches. Buck is going to go after the mule
who is loaded down with dynamite but Mano makes him "draw twigs" for it, and
makes sure he is the loser. El Lobo can't figure out what Mano is up to, but
he is impressed by his bravery, and calls out a greeting while they hide
behind their respective rocks. But Lobo is getting tired and he tells the
High Chaparral men that their time is now up.