Bob Hoy
The High Chaparral
An Anger Greater Than Mine
Episode 4.85
First Broadcast September 18, 1970
Note: Bob gets to show off some of his stunt expertise in this episode with some great riding sequences for Joe, along with exciting running mounts and dismounts and a heart-stopping fall at full gallop.
Both the High Chaparral and the
Rancho Montoya are being plagued by an army of banditos. The leader of this
army is Diego De La Paola,
a former suitor of Victoria's. Diego's family sided with the Maximilinists
during the war and when Juarez came to power, Diego went to prison.
All the De La Paola family land was sold off, to be purchased by Don
Sebastian. Driven by his hatred for the Montoyas, Diego will not rest until
the land is returned to him and both the Cannons and Montoyas are ruined.
Diego's constant attacks are
quickly achieving their purpose. Fences are torn down and the cattle are
driven off. So many ranch hands are being killed
that
Sam has to double the wages of the remaining men to keep them all from
leaving. Don Sebastian is suffering the same losses. The two ranches need to
help each other catch their tormentor but the miles between them is too
great. Then Big John comes up with an ingenious scheme that combines the way
the Apache think with the speed of the Pony Express.
Pedro
is stationed on a mountain top twenty miles from the High Chaparral. Twenty
miles from that mountain is Joe, waiting with a horse. The next time Diego
and his bandits attack, a large fire is set to blaze at the High Chaparral.
When Pedro sees the smoke he sets another fire on top of the mountain.
At
his Pony Express station twenty-miles from Pedro, Joe sees the smoke and
leaps on his horse, riding for all he is worth toward the Rancho Montoya. At
another twenty-mile point waits a man with a new mount.
Joe leaps on and takes off again. But Diego's men have guessed at this plan and someone is
lying in wait. Joe is shot and falls from his horse. He has enough strength
to fire his gun to attract some of the Montoya ranch hands, who ride on to
warn Don Sebastian.
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The Montoya forces, the High
Chaparral men and Diego's army meet face to face. Diego, very cocky in
his assured victory, hands Don Sebastian a paper to sign that will return Diego his
family's property. But Don Sebastian has had enough. He leaps at the
laughing man. Both sides watch as the pair struggle
and it is
Don Sebastian who grabs Diego's gun.
In a
fury, Diego orders his men to kill - he doesn't care about himself. But they
know they are evenly matched and cannot win. They ride away, leaving the
broken Diego on his knees in the dirt, crying out for Victoria to help him.
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