The Classic TV Archive - TV Western series
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9.12 [237]
"last of the comancheros"
Original NBC Broadcast - 09 December 1970
Universal City Studios, Inc.
executive producer norman macdonnell
written by don tait
directed by michael caffey
Starring:
(shown in the opening sketch sequence)
stewart granger [Col. Alan MacKenzie]
doug mcclure [Trampas] (not in this episode)
lee majors as tate (not in this episode)
and
james drury as the virginian (not in this episode)
guest stars:
(pictured above Ricardo Montalban and Beth Brickell)
ricardo montalban [francisco sosentes]
james gregory [sheriff joseph parks]
beth brickell [sally nye]
Full Ending Credits:
co-starring
carlos romero as armendez
#
richard van vleet as mooney
#
del monroe as deputy
parley baer as banker
#
and
anthony caruso as matthew keller
#
with
lenore stevens laurita
michael masters owens
ollie o'toole proprietor
william fawcett hostler
(Note: The actor who plays the telegraph operator is uncredited, but looks
a lot like sam edwards who played the hotel clerk in Medicine Bow in several
Season 3 episodes.
A few other actors with speaking parts also appear uncredited:
the night watchman, Sosentes' lookout and the waiter in the hotel dining room.) [rho]
#
script consultant robert van scoyk
#
theme ennio morricone
#
director of photography enzo a. martinelli
#
art director william j. kenney
set decorations perry murdock
unit manager willard h. sheldon
assistant director les berke
#
film editor s. martin weiss
sound jean valentino
technicolor
main title design jack cole
titles and optical effects universal title
#
editorial supervision richard belding
costume supervision vincent dee
make up bud westmore
hair stylist larry germain
Series regular characters appearing in this episode:
Col. MacKenzie
Detailed Synopsis:
On the hotel veranda in the town of Mesa Verde, New Mexico, we see Col. MacKenzie
bargaining with a rancher named Keller over the price of some shorthorn cattle he's
come there to buy. As they're doing so, two Comancheros ride into town and are
greeted with derision and jeers by the local townspeople, including a couple of
Keller's men, Mooney and Owens. Oblivious to all this, Keller and the Colonel
haggle away but fail to reach an agreement on the price. MacKenzie accepts Keller's
invitation to ride out to his ranch the next day to look over the stock.
Entering the hotel lobby, the Colonel observes a beautiful young woman guest who
is being refused entry to the hotel dining room by the proprietor because "Sheriff
Parks wants no unescorted ladies in here and that's you!...I run (the hotel) but
he runs the town and he can give me an awful lot of trouble if he's a mind to!"
The Colonel comes to her rescue by inviting her to dine with him. He learns that
she is Sally Nye, a famous reporter for the "New York World Telegram." When he
asks why she's in town, she tells him, "This is the perfect town for my purposes.
I'm doing a story on the Wild West as it really is today; not as the penny-dreadful
writers would have us believe, that there are Indians behind every bush and a
road agent behind every rock...Do you know that this is the end of an era? Here
it is Saturday in a Southwest cattle town: where are the fierce Comanches? And
where are the John Chisholms and the Charlie Goodnights; the giants who tamed this
land? You don't even find them any more! They've been domesticated by the very
environment they created." Col. MacKenzie replies, "When I first came to this part
of the world, I used to think exactly like you--but I quickly came to the conclusion
that things weren't exactly what they seemed to be!"
Meanwhile the two Comancheros, Francisco Sosentes and Raul Armendez, are being
treated like the plague wherever they go. Under the circumstances, Sosentes is
polite enough, but Armendez appears more hot-headed and confrontational. When they
enter the bar in the hotel dining room and try to order a drink, they're greeted
by insults from Mooney and Owens over their sheep-herding ways. This is in full
view of Sally Nye and Col. MacKenzie, to whom the waiter whispers, "There was a
time when Francisco Sosentes would have chopped his ears off for less!" Asked to
elaborate, the waiter continues, "He once led a band of Comancheros south of here."
"So there are the dreaded Comancheros!" says Sally, whose interest has been piqued.
Sheriff Parks enters and orders the two Comancheros to leave before there's any
trouble. Col. MacKenzie tries to intervene on their behalf but Sheriff Parks sullenly
says, "I know these people." Armendez appears ready for a fight, but Sosentes
stops him, saying, "We didn't come here to kill a sheriff!" and the two leave to the
continuing taunts from Keller's men. After they're gone, Sally turns to MacKenzie
and says, "I submit the incident as a case in point: when the once 'scourge of the
plains' marches out of a bar with his tail between his legs, then the sun has set
on the West!" "You know, I'm suddenly not hungry any more," says the Colonel.
Later that evening, after parting ways with Col. MacKenzie, Sally encounters Sosentes
on the street and inquires about visiting his camp to do a story on the life of
the Comancheros. "Either you are very brave or uninformed!" replies Sosentes,
"In this country people, especially attractive young ladies, ride shy of Comancheros!"
Sally is insistent, however, and Sosentes agrees to let her visit. He gives her
general directions to the camp and adds, "You need not worry about finding us.
We will find you!"
That is indeed the case, as she rides out in that direction the next day, and is
about to give up when Sosentes appears and assures her that she has "had an escort
for the past three miles." On arriving at the camp, Sally comments how "fundamental"
it is. Sosentes corrects her, "You mean primitive!" He fondly recalls the "good
old days" when the camp "flowed with life and excitement. Each night there was
dancing and singing and the wine flowed like the streams in the hills...Every year
in the spring and fall we'd rendezvous with the Comanches...There would be games
and contests and feats of strength and buffalo hunts. Some people would say that
we began to think more like Indians than Mexicans!" "From what I understand, it
wasn't all fun and games," Sally interrupts. "It was a clearing house for stolen
goods!" admits Sosentes, "We traded hardware and guns for cattle the Comanches had
driven off...It was profitable for everyone!" "Except for the ranchers," she notes.
"Many of those ranchers were on land that once belonged to my people," he replies,
" What they didn't take with legal chicanery, they took with force." Sally probes
further by asking, "And was your part bloodless?" Sosentes pauses and admits that
while some of his compatriots were even less discriminating, he had indeed had to
resort to killing at times; "The first man I killed was a night rider who burned
out my parents...My father had a land grant passed down by the King of Spain. But
the land is also gone. There is nothing left of that life." "And so you became
a Comanchero," Sally notes. "At the time there seemed no other way," he sighs,
"But now, that life has also passed. Our business associates have been herded into
a reservation. The Comancheros who have managed to survive have been reduced to
herding sheep." One of the women in the camp chimes in, "It is an honorable life!"
Sosentes looks at her and says, "But one special hell for one who was once the
greatest cibalero of them all!" Puzzled, Sally asks, "What is a cibalero?" "Ah,
it is a thing of the past; a lost art. It is the name given those brave few who
hunted buffalo with a lance! We would ride alongside the largest buffalo in the herd,
forcing our horse closer and closer until we drove the buffalo into the ground--or
were trampled under its hoofs!" "Sometimes I think I was born too late," Sally
marvels, "That's something I would love to have seen!" Sensing a challenge and
something that would further impress his guest, Sosentes removes his hat, coat and
shirt and says, "You shall!" With great fanfare and encouragement from the other
members of the camp, he grabs a branch and begins carving a lance.
Over at Keller's ranch, Col. MacKenzie and Keller are negotiating a deal.
The Colonel finally gets him down to his price and produces a check already made
out with the Colonel's price on it. "Why it's made out for the exact amount!"
says a surprised Keller. "Really?" says the Colonel as the two ranchers share a
laugh. Meanwhile, a hunting party of Comancheros led by Sosentes and accompanied
by Sally spot a lone bull out on the range with no markings and hence one that
should be fair game. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea," says Sally. "It's a
tremendous idea, Senorita!" says Sosentes, "For the first time in years, I feel
macho, much man! I ride for you!" With that, he rides into battle and accomplishes
the task of the cibalero. That night, as the vanquished bull is being cooked for
dinner, Sally bids adieu, saying, "This is a day I'll never forget!" Sosentes pauses
and says, "In your writings, I would appreciate if you would forget the source of our
dinner." Sally ignores this comment, says goodbye and rides away.
Sally files her report via telegraph to the newspaper back home. The gossipy
telegrapher then goes into the saloon and, without much prodding, reveals some of
the content of her wire, specifically the part about the Comancheros "killing cattle."
Mooney and Owens hear this and immediately jump to the conclusion that the Comancheros
must be doing some rustling. They put a plan into action that "one cow is worth about
a hundred head of sheep" and that night stampede and slaughter the Comancheros' sheep,
shooting and mortally wounding an old night watchman in the process. Before the
watchman dies, however, he is able to ride back into camp to inform Sosentes and the
others about the stampede. "Who did this?...Why?" asks Sosentes. "Men with many guns
...It is because of the bull!" gasps the night watchman. "That bull bore no brand!"
Sosentes screams in rage, "By the law of the range, he belongs to any man who takes it!
I will find out who is responsible for this!" "I will tell you who is responsible,"
says Armendez, "It is the gringo lady you welcomed into camp!"
The next day, Col. MacKenzie and Sally Nye are both leaving town on the same stagecoach.
Their trip is interrupted several miles out of town by Sosentes and Armendez, who have
stopped the stagecoach at gunpoint. They plan to take Sally hostage for $25000.
Mackenzie tries to offer himself as the hostage instead, but Sosentes insists it must
be Sally, because she wrote about them killing the bull after he'd "asked her not to."
This is the first Sally and the Colonel have heard about the sheep stampede. Both are
horrified, but Sally insists that she wrote that the bull was wild. The stagecoach
driver goes for his gun, but Armendez shoots him. MacKenzie attempts to stop the men
from taking Sally, but he is knocked out by a blow to the head. Armendez is about to
shoot him point-blank, but Sosentes tells him to "lash him to the saddle. We're going
to have need of him. We're going to have two guests instead of one!"
It turns out the stagecoach driver isn't dead and he's able to drive back into town and
report the kidnappings to the sheriff. Meanwhile, in the Comanchero camp, MacKenzie comes
to. He first asks about Sally and is assured by Sosentes that she is safe. "Don't you
know that they will hunt your people down for this and kill them?" asks the Colonel.
"They have killed us already when they killed our sheep," answers Sosentes. "If we are to
live, it must be in the old way." "Oh, the devil with your old ways!" says Col. MacKenzie
as he demands to be taken to the girl. Sosentes agrees and takes him to the tent where
they are holding her. When Sally sees the Colonel, she falls into his outstretched arms
in fright, fearful that she's going to be killed because "they're outlaws again" and have
gone back to their old ways. MacKenzie tries to reassure her by saying, "Not Sosentes-
-he's too intelligent!" "But the others are pushing him!" she insists. "But he's their
leader. I'll make him understand!" he says. Mackenzie goes back outside and approaches
Sosentes and Armendez to find out about their demands. Armendez is all for killing him
on the spot, but Sosentes reminds him that since the stagecoach driver is dead (or so
they think), they will have to use Col. MacKenzie to carry out their plans. "You must
deliver $25000 within 48 hours by yourself." says Sosentes. "But that may be impossible!"
protests the Colonel. "For the lady's sake, I hope not...We are fighting for survival,
Colonel. We will do what we have to do!" answers Sosentes. MacKenzie reluctantly agrees
to these terms, admitting that he "has no choice." He also gives his word that he will
not reveal the location of their camp. "He will be the death of us, and so will you with
your trust!" Armendez warns Sosentes.
Sheriff Parks and his deputy are out on the range searching for the Comanchero hideout.
The deputy protests that they should have brought a posse rather than just the two of
them, but the sheriff says that a posse would generate too much talk back in town. If
they find the camp, he'll go back to town, bring back a few men he can trust and then "we
ride into that Comanchero camp and don't leave as much as a blade of grass around!"
"Are you saying you won't even try to bring Sosentes back to hang?" asks the deputy.
"I've seen men kind of rally around at a hanging," says the sheriff, "Sometimes they seem
to get the strength to make a martyr out of some string of banditos...I want Sosentes dead
to put the fear of God into every one of them!" Just then Col. MacKenzie comes riding by
on his way back into town. Sheriff Parks stops him and tells him that the driver made it
back and told what had happened. He asks the whereabouts of the Comanchero camp. The
Colonel sidesteps his question by saying "I notice you're not asking about the girl...let's
talk about that in town!"
Back in town, Col. MacKenzie explains the situation to the sheriff, but refuses to reveal
the location of their hideout because he "gave his word." Sheriff Parks has no intention
of giving in to the Comancheros' ransom demands. "Did you hear me? They'll kill her!"
says the Colonel. "I heard you!" says the sheriff, "So give them the $25000. Next time
they'll yank somebody else off a stagecoach and they'll want $50000. Sure does beat working
for a living, don't it!" "I see," says a disgusted MacKenzie, "Then you're not going to
help me raise the money." "Help you?" says Sheriff Parks, "Listen, MacKenzie, I'm in
charge here and I'll run things my way without any help from you! Now why don't you just
go back to Medicine Bow and keep out of this?" "I have no intention of leaving here until
I know what you're going to do about the safety of that girl!" huffs the Colonel. "When
I was elected sheriff here, I took an oath to maintain the peace and bring criminals to
justice," says the sheriff, "Since that time this has been a nice little town to live in.
I see no reason to change my way of doing things just to accommodate some outsider!"
Col. MacKenzie replies, "Sheriff, it might interest you to know that night riders from this
'nice little town of yours' slaughtered all the Comancheros' sheep last night and that's
what caused this kidnapping!" "Well, I'll deal with that all in good time. Good day, Sir!"
says the sheriff. "Sheriff," says MacKenzie, "If you're not going to do anything about the
safety of this girl, I shall consider it my responsibility!" "You consider anything you
want, but let me tell you this," snaps Sheriff Parks, "You interfere with the due process
of law and I'll treat you like any other lawbreaker!"
Col. MacKenzie visits the local banker, Mr. Anderson, to tell him that he's wired his bank
in New York to send $25000 and asks him if he will honor the draft. Anderson evades the
question, first warning the Colonel that it is unwise to give in to the ransom demands of
the Comancheros and then telling him that this is cattle country and the people around here
don't take kindly to sheep. He further advises him to leave matters in Sheriff Parks'
"capable" hands. "You think so?" says the Colonel, "I think he's a big headed idiot!"
MacKenzie asks him again if he will honor the draft. Anderson is forced to admit that
"legally, I guess I have no choice!"
Back at the Comanchero camp, Sosentes and Armendez are having a meal. Sosentes asks one
of the girls if their "guest" has been fed. Armendez says she should be treated like a
prisoner, then sarcastically changes course and tells the girl to "bring her out here...
She is nice to look at!" The girl does bring her out, kicking and screaming all the way.
Armendez attempts to put his arms around her, but is immediately stopped by Sosentes.
"I suppose I should thank you for that," Sally says sarcastically. More soberly, she
says, "Senor Sosentes, what I wrote was a tribute to your skill and courage! Nothing
more. I meant you no harm! I don't know the men who killed your sheep! Please, let
me go." "Plans have been made," says Sosentes, "We will wait." Just then one of Sosentes'
men rides in, saying he has spotted Sheriff Parks and his deputy. He saw them go to a
nearby arroyo and then go back. "They are running in circles!" says Sosentes. A panicky
Armendez is all for killing Sally and making a getaway, but Sosentes tells him, "Armendez,
you are like a child. You would forsake a fortune tomorrow to indulge your passions
today. I gave him 48 hours!"
In an attempt to gain a sympathetic ear, Col. MacKenzie returns to Keller's ranch and
expresses his concern that the bank draft might not get here in time. Keller is sympathetic,
but since Sally doesn't live around here, most people will consider it none of their
business. Col. MacKenzie tells him that it may indeed be their business because it was
somebody local who killed the Comancheros' sheep. "If I thought it was men from my ranch,
I'd hang their hides on the west side of that barn!" says Keller, "Sheriff Parks could take
care of the rest of them! Two wrongs don't make a right in my book." MacKenzie asks that
if he brings him proof, would he help? "Well, I don't have any great love for the Comancheros,"
says Keller, "But if you can prove that this ranch had anything to do with that kidnapping,
I'll back you all the way!" Meanwhile, this conversation has been overheard by ranchhands
Mooney and Owens.
That night, while Sally is sleeping, Armendez enters her tent. Saying he wants to help her
escape, he begins to force himself upon her. Sally resists, and Sosentes enters. "You
are a fool, amigo!" Sosentes says. Armendez counters, "She is only a prisoner. In the old
days..." "In the old days, you are a pig!" Sosentes interrupts, "No one would look at you
twice!" Sensing that he's girding for a long overdue fight, Sosentes continues, "Is it
now, amigo? Is this the time you have chosen?" Armendez rises as if he's ready to challenge
him, but then backs off and leaves the tent.
Back in town at the telegraph office, Mooney and Owens enter, grab the operator and force
him up against the wall. "You didn't bother to mention that that bull the Comancheros killed
was a maverick, did you?" hisses Mooney. They order him to get out of town so no one else
will find out, but the frightened telegrapher says, "If that woman gets back, they'll find
out anyway. That's the money coming in for her right now!" pointing to an incoming wire on
the telegraph. The men then proceed to demolish the equipment.
Later, Col. MacKenzie drops by the telegraph office, notices the damage and that the operator
is missing, and notifies Sheriff Parks. The Colonel finds part of the incoming wire from
his New York bank, but it's just the address information and nothing else. He says, "They've
sent the money! He must have been taking this message when they ran him off!" The sheriff
scoffs at this conclusion, saying "I don't see anything about money here. All I see are two
addresses." "Well, what else could it be?" asks a flustered MacKenzie." "It could be anything
--like evidence!" answers the sheriff, stuffing it in his shirt pocket. "You're bloody right
that's evidence!" yells the Colonel, "That's evidence that the money order has been sent.
Now, give it to me!" "I warned you once, MacKenzie," says the sheriff, his voice rising,
"You interfere with the due process of law, you're going to wind up in a jail cell. I don't
care if you own the whole state of Wyoming! In this town you are what I say you are!" "You're
not interested in upholding the law, maintaining the peace or anything like it!" MacKenzie
fumes, "You just use that badge as a license to hunt Comancheros because they've made a bigger
fool of you than you already are! You're not going to catch them. Never! And the death of
that girl will be on your hands!" Pointing to his eye patch, Sheriff Parks responds, "MacKenzie,
I lost this eye to a Comanchero when I was just wet behind the ears and I ain't gonna rest
easy till there's not another stinkin' one of them left in this territory!" Seeing that he's
getting nowhere with the sheriff, a frustrated Col. MacKenzie goes over to the livery stable
and hires a fast horse to take him a rugged 40 miles to the telegraph relay station in Albuquerque.
Meanwhile, at the Comanchero camp, Sosentes looks in on Sally to make sure she hasn't been
bothered any further. He sympathizes with her and tells her she has every right to be frightened,
because this must have been a terrible experience for her. "You say that as if you had nothing
to do with it. And it was your idea to kidnap me!" says Sally, "If you really thought it,
you would let me go!" Sosentes reluctantly says that he can't, adding that "others share the
blame." He then opens up a bit and tells her that she is the "first one of (her) people"
that he has been able to "converse with." Sure, he'd been able to deal sheep and "dicker"
with the white man, but none ever invited him to "seal the bargain" with a drink. "Well,
evidently the damage always left very deep wounds around here," says Sally. "It was the same
on both sides," sighs Sosentes, "But if you pick at the wound, it cannot heal." "But where
will you go?" she asks. "Mexico," answers Sosentes, gazing off into the distance, "Find some
land, steal a few sheep and start again." "You say that as if that were a way of life!" says
Sally. "It was OUR way of life," he replies, "We knew no other way. We stole to live.
In time our victims became our enemies and it was impossible for us to survive any other way.
We have no roots. We have no home. Like the buffalo, we soon will be no more." This
strikes a chord with Sally, who says, "If you let me go, and if we tell the people of Mesa
Verde what really happened, surely they'll listen to reason!" "No," says Sosentes, "Sheriff
Parks has waited for just such an opportunity. He would stop at nothing to destroy us!"
The next day, after having ridden all night, Col. MacKenzie rides back into town with the draft
just as Anderson is closing the bank for the day. Anderson tells him that the bank is closed
and refuses to let him in. MacKenzie responds by picking up a chair and smashing the window
on the door. Anderson still refuses to give him his money until the next day. "Tomorrow's
too late and you know it!" says the Colonel. Sheriff Parks happens by and asks what happened.
When Anderson tells him of MacKenzie's method of entry, the sheriff arrests him for breaking
and entering.
In the jail, Sheriff Parks tries to coerce from Col. MacKenzie the location of the Comanchero
camp. He pulls out his pistol, points it at the Colonel and says, "The first five shots won't
hit anything vital. Number six is the one you've got to look out for!" "You're insane!" says
a horrified MacKenzie. Just then Keller enters the jail along with his ranchhand Owens. He
asks what the sheriff thinks he's doing. "Just asking my prisoner a few questions," Parks
replies and hastily puts away the gun. The purpose of Keller's visit is to report that two
of his hands got drunk last night and revealed what really happened. Owens confesses that it
was he and Mooney who killed the Comancheros' sheep and drove off the telegraph operator.
Mooney is currently "passed out cold" in his bunkhouse but Keller promises to bring him in later.
He further demands that Col. MacKenzie be released so he can take the money to the Comancheros
as restitution for their sheep. "$25000 for a flock of lousy sheep?" harrumphs the sheriff.
"For a girl's life!" says MacKenzie. Sheriff Parks looks around and then opens the cell door.
As the Colonel walks out, Keller advises him, "If you have any trouble getting the money
from Anderson, use my name!" After he's gone, Sheriff Parks puts Owens in the cell, and then
surprisingly forces Keller in there with him. "(This is) for your protection," says the sheriff,
"There's going to be a little shooting around here any time now and I wouldn't want you to
get hurt!" "You're finished in this town as sheriff, Parks! You hear me? You're finished in
this town!" yells Keller. As the sheriff exits the cell area and goes back into the front
office, the deputy questions why he let the Colonel go and locked up Keller. The sheriff tells
him to go to the saloon and recruit some able-bodied men for a posse; "When Col.
MacKenzie leaves town, we're going to be right on his tail!"
As MacKenzie rides out to the camp to deliver the money, Armendez has finally decided to take
charge. He has found some stray cattle in a canyon. They will wrap the girl in a fresh hide
to be crushed to death as it dries in the sun. "It is not our way!" protests Sosentes.
"It is our way," says Armendez, "The way of the Comanchero!" "No! No!" pleads Sally as she
breaks away and rushes into Sosentes' arms. Armendez and Sosentes are about to have it out
when Col. MacKenzie rides up with the money. Sosentes proudly shows off the bills to the
other Comancheros while Armendez exults that it will buy them "fine horses and gowns in Mexico!"
The Colonel advises them that they shouldn't take this money to Mexico, because it is ransom
money. The men who led the sheep slaughter have confessed and are now in jail. The people
of Mesa Verde are very sorry and want to make restitution. He urges Sosentes to return to
town with him and give back the money. "And what will happen if I do?" asks a skeptical Sosentes,
"I will be thrown in a gringo jail and my people will be hunted down!" "No! I promise you!
I kept my word with you once and I'll keep it again!" says Col. MacKenzie, "You can buy sheep
again and live as you did before." "Before?" interjects Armendez, "We were treated like dirt
before! Is that what we want to go back to?" Sosentes agrees, "It is too late. Too much has
happened." "And what will happen in Mexico?" asks Col. MacKenzie, "You'll be bandits again.
Living and hiding until one day there'll be no place to hide. Your people will die, Sosentes!
You want them to live! Persuade them to come back with me!"
Gunshots ring out from the hills above, causing the Comancheros to take cover. It is Sheriff
Parks and his posse. "Liar!" shouts Armendez as he aims his gun at Col. MacKenzie. Sosentes
turns and shoots Armendez just as he is about to fire. "I didn't bring them!" says MacKenzie.
"I believe you," says Sosentes. Pointing to Sally, he adds, "Take her and go. They will
let you through." The Colonel says, "Sosentes, you haven't got a chance. You'll be killed.
Tell your people to surrender!" Sosentes half-smiles and replies, "When life holds no promise,
that is a certainty, amigo!" As the gunfight continues, Sosentes changes his mind and decides
to surrender after MacKenzie appeals to him on behalf of the women and children in the camp.
When all the gunfire has stopped and the Comancheros have their hands up, Sheriff Parks walks
into the camp and shoots Sosentes point-blank. "I got him! Yes sir, I got him, didn't I!"
he says triumphantly. An enraged MacKenzie scrambles over to the sheriff and punches him in
the mouth, saying, "You got him! You got him and you'll hang for murder!"
Several days later, we see Col. MacKenzie walking Sally to a waiting stagecoach as she prepares
to leave town. "I feel that I've destroyed something in this town and now I'm running away
leaving others to pick up the pieces," she tells him. "No. No. It was nothing to do with you,"
says the Colonel, "If it hadn't been this incident, it would have been something else. There
was just no place left for the Comancheros any more. There never was. It was inevitible."
"As you said, times change. People don't. But I feel I have. I just can't tell you how I feel,"
says Sally. "Then don't try," says the Colonel. She embraces him and boards the coach.
Talking to him out the stagecoach window, she says, "I don't know exactly what I'm going to
write yet, but it'll certainly be unlike anything I've ever written before." Col. MacKenzie
reassuringly pats her hand in agreement and waves goodbye. [rho]
Observation:
We learn something about Col. MacKenzie's experience in the cattle business. While negotiating
with Keller over the sale of the cattle, MacKenzie admits that he knows more about the shorthorns
than he's let on: "I'm very familiar with the Hereford. I used to raise them in England."
"You had a ranch in England?" asks a surprised Keller. "Well it was an estate, but it was big
enough to run cattle," the Colonel replies, "You know, I had an idea that the Hereford would
make a great cross with the Brahmin...It's a breed in India. I ran into them when I was soldiering
over there...They're very resistant to heat. I think they'd make the perfect cross for this
part of the country." [rho]
Guest star notes:
Ricardo Montalban also appears in "The Big Deal" (1.04) and "The Wind of Outrage" (7.05)
James Gregory can also be seen in "50 Days to Moose Jaw" (1.12), "Without Mercy" (5.21)
and "The Price of Love" (7.18)
This was Beth Brickell's only appearance in the series.
Carlos Romero is also in "The Mountain of the Sun" (1.28)
Parley Baer also appears in "Woman From White Wing" (1.02), "A Bad Place to Die" (6.09)
and "Halfway Back From Hell" (8.03)
Anthony Caruso is also seen in "The Inchworm's Got No Wings At All" (4.20) and
"Incident at Diablo Crossing" (7.22) [rho]