Ep 4. The Bounty
- TV14
- April 15, 1957
- 26 min
-
7.8 (59)
Tales of Wells Fargo is a Western drama series that aired from 1957 to 1962. The show revolves around the adventures of Jim Hardie, a special agent for Wells Fargo, as he faces all sorts of challenges during his missions to protect the mail and stagecoach routes, arrest criminals, and hunt down outlaws.
In season 1, episode 4, titled "The Bounty," Jim Hardie must bring back a notorious bank robber named Don Miguel De Vaca, who has escaped from a Mexican prison and is wanted by Wells Fargo for robbing and killing a stagecoach driver. Jim tracks Don Miguel down to a small town in Mexico where he is hiding under the alias "El Toro."
Jim manages to capture Don Miguel, but on their way back to the border, they encounter several obstacles and challenges that put their lives at risk. For instance, they are ambushed by a group of outlaws who want to free Don Miguel and take revenge on Jim, who has killed one of their own. Jim and Don Miguel have to join forces to fend off the attackers and escape unharmed.
Furthermore, Jim has to deal with the cultural differences between him and Don Miguel, who is a proud Mexican nationalist. Don Miguel resents being captured by an American and makes snide remarks about Jim's loyalty to Wells Fargo and his country. As they ride together, Jim tries to convince Don Miguel that he is not an enemy, but a lawman who is just doing his job. Don Miguel slowly comes to respect Jim's courage and integrity, and they develop a sort of friendship based on mutual respect.
"The Bounty" is a tense and action-packed episode that showcases the dangers and challenges of Jim Hardie's job as a special agent for Wells Fargo. It also highlights the cultural clashes between the American and Mexican characters and the difficulty of enforcing the law across borders. The episode is well-written and well-acted, with strong performances by Dale Robertson as Jim Hardie and Leo Carrillo as Don Miguel De Vaca. Overall, "The Bounty" is a great example of the type of exciting and thoughtful stories that Tales of Wells Fargo used to offer its audiences.