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Hoss attempts to comfort a boy (David Ladd) whose father is in jail, but not for long.
Stella Stevens guest-stars as Ann Croft, a sheltered deaf-mute girl. Joe Cartwright tries to teach Ann sign language, only to be thwarted by the girl's fiercely overprotective father Albie (Albert Salmi). In the course of John Furia Jr.'s teleplay, Ann ends up saving her father's life, and also falls in love with Joe (the kiss of death for any Bonanza leading lady!) Also appearing are Kenneth McKenna as Sam, James Griffith as the Preacher, Sherwood Price as Eb and Harry Swoger as Tom.
The Cartwrights, with Hop Sing, finish a cattle drive in San Francisco. Ben warns the other men of the dangers of the big city. Nevertheless, some of the men are careless and naive. Two of the hired hands disappear, and Ben suspects that the men were shanghaied. With invaluable assistance from several of Hop Sing's cousins, the Cartwrights locate the missing men and break up the racket.
Hoss befriends a town drunk (Henry Hull) who was once a top scout in the Army before he led his troops into a massacre. John Dehner guest stars.
A bank robber (Ben Cooper) takes a job with the Cartwrights so the sheriff doesn't find his accomplices.
Adam rides up on some Indians wanting to harm a white woman they believed was a mountain spirit. He kills them but not before they wound him. The woman nurses him back to health but the rest of the tribe is still out there looking for her.
About to set out on a cattle drive, Ben hires a young drifter named Sam Jackson as one of his drovers. What he doesn't know is that Jackson is really outlaw Johnny Logan, who signed on to the drive because he knew it was going to pass near the town of Waycross, and Logan is determined to kill the Waycross sheriff--who is his father.
A vengeful police inspector (Lloyd Nolan) from New Orleans jeopardizes Ben's bid for the governorship.
THE SPANISH GRANT: When the Cartwrights find out that some of the Ponderosa may be forfeited under the Spanish Land Grant, they decide to take legal action in order to stop it. Adam, however, takes another plan of action, which involves getting to know the beautiful heiress who is claiming the land under the grant.
"Gunnar is a long-lost relative of the Cartwright family. When Gunnar arrives at the Ponderosa, the family takes him in for the evening. Gunnar is the brother to one of Ben Cartwright's late wives. Unbeknownst to the Cartwright family, Gunnar is also the leader of a band of criminals called The Comancheros. Little Joe is visiting his girlfriend away from the ranch. When Little Joe and his girlfriend are kidnapped by The Comancheros, the Cartwrights and Gunnar are forced into a difficult situation
To escape her strict and oppressive father Sheriff Kincaid (Val Avery), headstrong Dolly (Myrna Fahey) rebelliously courts disaster by associating with disreputable men. On this occasion, Dolly skips town with rakishly charming Vince Dagen (John Ericson), blissfully unaware that Vince is an outlaw. Joe Cartwright tries to catch up with the fleeing couple before Dolly suffers the consequences of her defiance. Also appearing are Hal Baylor as Clegg and Norm Alden as Poke.
As a reward for saving Ben Cartwright's life, an Indian named Matsou (Ricardo Montalban) is given a small parcel of Ponderosa land. Ben's Indian-hating neighbor Ike Daggett (Karl Swenson) violently objects to Matsou's presence. When his wife is killed in a raid, Daggett, holding Matsou responsible, and kills the Indian's wife (Madlyn Rhue) in retaliation.
DESERT JUSTICE: U.S. Marshal Emmett Dowd arrives at the Ponderosa to take ranch hand Dave Walker to face trial in Los Angeles. Concerned by the way Dowd treats Walker, and believing the man to be innocent, Adam and Hoss decide to go along to make sure that Walker reaches Los Angeles alive.
Claiming to be a federal marshal, Gerald Eskith (Dan Duryea) arrives in Virginia City, armed with a subpoena for Jason Blaine (Fred Beir). Eskith demands that Jason accompany him to San Francisco to testify in the trial of the notorious Murdock gang. Although he owes his life to Eskith, Adam Cartwright is suspicion of the self-styled lawman, and insists upon accompanying the two men on their long and dangerous journey.
Shady sheepherder Jeb Drummond and his sons are grazing their herds on the Ponderosa. Ben tells them to get off the property, but the Drummonds have a different idea and take Adam hostage.
Criminals have taken over Virginia City and are forcing citizens to pay for protection lest they suffer an "accident". A store owner who didn't pay is murdered by gang member and the sole witness, the victim's wife Beth, is offered protection at the Ponderosa. For his trouble, Ben is kidnapped by the gang leader!
Hoss mentors a lonely, mentally challenged man who, with superhuman size and strength, becomes extremely dangerous when angered.
Ben starts to have second thoughts about helping a brutal stockade commander track down three prisoners on the lam. Joe Maross, Gloria Talbott, and Grant Williams guest star.
The Chinese citizens of Virginia City are targeted by a mayoral candidate's campaign to "hate outsiders". Philip Ahn and Helen Westcott guest star.
Hoss and Little Joe are mistaken for bloodthirsty hired killers in a small Texas town dominated by two feuding families.
