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Guest Stars: Frank Silvera,Faith Domergue & Rudolfo Hoyos
(Episode #163, aired Apr. 19, 1964)



Matteo Ibarra and his wife arrive at the Ponderosa to visit old friend Will Cartwright only to find Will is on a cattle drive with Adam and Hoss. Ben knows that Matteo and Will had once ridden together along with an army of compañeros in support of Mexico's leader, Benito Juarez. Matteo explains that he is returning to Mexico and wanted to see Will before he leaves. As Ben instructs Little Joe to fetch Will, Matteo is shot by men who have been following him. A worried Will returns home to see his injured friend.


Screen Capture-Will greeting Carla, the wife of his friend, Mateo Screen Capture-Will & Mateo meeting for the first time in several years Screen Capture-Will listening to Mateo brag that he's invinsible Screen Capture-Will listens to Carla explain Mateo's plan to return to Mexico to help Juarez
Screen captures courtesy of TK & JH


Will soon learns that his friend wants his help. According to Matteo, Juarez is in a power struggle and Matteo has raised money and an army to help the Mexican leader maintain control of his reign. Will is thrown into a quandary when Matteo requests that he return to Mexico with him. For the first time in years, Will has found a home, the Ponderosa and he is part of a family with Ben and his cousins. But his bond to Matteo is strong. The Mexican fighter once lost his own brother, while saving Will's life and Will feels he owes him a debt of gratitude. Will is tormented by his desire to stay at the Ponderosa and his guilt over refusing his friend this request.


Screen Capture-Will wonders what Carla's role is in influencing her husband Screen Capture-With growing skepticism as to her truthfulness, Will listens to Carla Screen Capture-Ben advises Will that he shouldn't rush into helping Mateo Screen Capture-Will grilling Carla on where they got the money to finance the drive to help Juarez
Screen captures courtesy of TK & JH


Feeling his debt outweighs his own happiness, Will decides to return to Mexico with Matteo. But before they reach their destination they are accosted by the men who have been tracking Matteo. Will is shocked to find that these men are also former compañeros, friends of his. The leader claims that Matteo is lying to Will, that he is really returning to Mexico to overthrow Juarez as leader. The men offer Will the chance to save his own life, but explain that they are there to execute Matteo for his treason. Faced with proof of the charges, a warrant signed by Juarez himself, Will is forced to face the fact that Matteo isn't the man he thought. But still he can't bring himself to abandon his old friend to a sure death. Instead, Will saves Matteo's life by convincing the other men to take their former comrade back to Mexico to stand trial. With his debt to Matteo repaid, Will returns to the Ponderosa and his family.


Screen Capture-Will digesting Ben's council to beware of Mateo's intent Screen Capture-Ben listens while Will and Mateo discuss their plans to return to Mexico Screen Capture-Will's old comrades try to convince him that Mateo is really planning to overthrown the Mexican leader, Juarez Screen Capture-Will refuses to believe Mateo is lying
Screen captures courtesy of TK & JH




Guy Trivia

With the exception of the opening scene where Little Joe is shown briefly, actors Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts are all conspicuously absent from this episode. The only Cartwright, besides Will who appears in the show is Lorne Greene's Ben Cartwright. The absence of the other main actors lends validity to the claims that Guy's presence on the set was not well received by the so-called stars of the show.

Guy and actor Rudolfo Hoyos were not strangers when they appeared together in this episode of Bonanza. Hoyos was a frequent guest star on Zorro, always playing a villian who runs afoul of Guy's masked avenger. Hoyos first appeared as Cuevas in the March 13, 1958 episode The Secret of the Sierra. In the final episode of the series Finders Keepers, which aired July 2, 1959, Hoyos appeared as Montez. He later returned to appear as the character, Bandit in two of the Zorro anthology movies, El Bandido (airing October 30, 1960) and Adios El Cuchillo (airing November 6, 1960).



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