Blind Man's Bluff
This episode was written by Phillip John Taylor and directed by Peter Diamond
(Outside Los Angeles. Zorro is being chased by lancers.)
Zorro: Adios! (as the lancers and their horses tire and fall behind.)
Lancer: (dismounting and sinking to the ground.) Ah, Zorro!
(At a corral. A white horse runs before them.)
De Soto: Magnificent. What a beautiful animal. Oh, Superb. I want that horse. Extraordinary. Such speed.
Mendoza: Ahh. It’s just a dumb animal.
De Soto: Can you run that fast, Sergeant? A most impressive demonstration, Señor.
Man: Mariposa will ride any horse into the dust, Alcalde. I personally guarantee it.
De Soto: Audaciously spoken. Your price?
Man: Five thousand.
De Soto: (Laughs.) Pegasus would not fetch that kind of price on today’s market. No. Two thousand.
Man: A shame we cannot do business, Señor.
De Soto: All right, three thousand. (The man shakes his head no.) Four thousand and that’s my last offer. (The man continues to walk away with the horse.) All right! Five thousand.
Man: Okay.
Mendoza: Alcalde. Excuse us, Señor (inaudible). Five thou— it’s a splendid horse, an incredible horse, but five thousand pesos. That is half the budget of pueblo de Los Angeles!
De Soto: Sergeant, the people of Los Angeles will gladly pay for this horse.
Mendoza: How will they pay?
De Soto: Well, perhaps we simply levy a tax on their horses. Hm?
Mendoza: A horse tax? The people will never—
De Soto: Sergeant, with this mount I will ride Zorro into the ground. And when we are alone out there in the desert I will put a bullet into his evil heart.
Mendoza: Ah. With this mount?
(The tavern)
Man: Look at the poster outside. Another tax.
Victoria: A horse tax? That’s the last straw.
Mendoza: That’s what everybody’s saying, but I’m only doing my job.
Victoria: Well, if you don’t like your job, Sergeant, then quit.
Mendoza: I would. Then I would have to pay the horse tax.
Victoria: Oh, I see. The military are exempt. Well, I was wrong. That is the last straw. Alejandro arrives.
Alejandro: Buenas Dias, Victoria.
Victoria: Buenas Dias, Don Alejandro. Have you heard about this new tax?
Alejandro: I certainly have. That’s why we’re here. Sergeant Mendoza! You do me a favor, and ask the alcalde to step outside for a few minutes.
Mendoza: Oh, I would, Don Alejandro, but the alcalde left strict orders not to be disturbed under any circumstances.
Victoria: Under any circumstances. Well, I’m sure Zorro will be very pleased to hear about that.
Mendoza: Zorro? If he dares to show his face around here today, he’s in for the biggest surprise of his life. (Zorro comes up behind him.)
Zorro: I love surprises, Sergeant.
Mendoza: Zorro! How did he know?
Zorro: How did who know what?
Mendoza: The alcalde said you would show up today.
Zorro: Oh. I wonder what he— (The alcalde, riding Mariposa, comes out of the quartel gates, Zorro mounts Toronado.) Alcalde! The people of Los Angeles demand to know the reason for this horse tax!
De Soto: To hunt you down, Zorro. Nothing can outrun Mariposa.
Zorro: That is indeed a magnificent animal. We’ve been challenged, old boy. Perhaps a small wager? If I escape, you rescind the taxes.
Alejandro: Yes.
De Soto: I don’t make deals with outlaws. (Zorro rides away and De Soto gives the signal for the lancers to fire. They miss and take off after him.)
Victoria: Run, Toronado, run.
(Outside Los Angeles. Lancers chase Zorro.)
Zorro: Well ridden, amigo. (A shot hits the rocks beside them.) Whoa! Persistent, aren’t they? Time to get out of here.
De Soto: He’s headed for the ravine! We’ve got him! If the ravine doesn’t get him, then I will.
Zorro: This should separate the men from the boys. (Tornado leaps the ravine easily. Mendoza’s horse balks and he is thrown.)
De Soto: This is it. Fly, Mariposa, fly! (Mariposa leaps the ravine.) Madre de Dios!
Lancer: (The other lancers get to the edge.) Whoa! Not so fast. Easy. That is a long fall.
Zorro: He made it.
(Time passes as De Soto on Mariposa chases after Zorro on Toronado.)
Zorro: That is one good horse. (Time passes. Zorro is dragging a branch behind Tornado.) This should sidetrack him for a while. (He dismounts to remove the branch from the rope.) What have you found there, amigo? (Tornado is beside a small stream.) Oh, I know you’re thirsty, boy. But it’s dangerous to let you drink until after you’ve cooled down. If you’ll forgive me. (Zorro drinks from the water.) It won’t take the alcalde long to realize he’s been tricked. By the time he doubles back, we’ll be on our way to the hacienda.
(Nearby)
De Soto: Where are you? I know you’re there somewhere. You won’t escape me this
time.
Zorro: (Voiceover) Feeling odd. We eluded the alcalde not a moment too soon. What’s happening? (We see that his vision is blurring.) The water. It’s contaminated. Been poisoned. (Scene ends.)
Zorro: (Voiceover) The poison is working quickly. We’re miles from the nearest farm. Somehow I’ve got to find the strength. (Remembers De Soto is behind him coming to the stream.) (Aloud) De Soto.
(Back at the stream. De Soto is drinking.)
Zorro: Alcalde, don’t drink! The stream is tainted. The water filters through rocks. Something in the rocks causes convulsions, pain.
De Soto: Another one of your tricks, hey, Zorro?
Zorro: Listen to me. Listen to me. The fever will strike you very soon. We are miles from Los Angeles.
De Soto: What is it? You can’t see, can you? (Laughs.) Well, at last, I’ll find out who’s beneath the mask of Zorro. (He raises his pistol to fire but Toronado knocks it from his hand.) Losing your sight puts you at a distinct disadvantage, wouldn’t you say? (He draws his sword and so does Zorro. They fence.) Surrender, Zorro. I’ll give you a fair trial. Otherwise, I’ll cut you down, here and now.
Zorro: I’m afraid neither of those choices sounds very appealing. (They fence some more and then De Soto grabs his stomach.) It won’t be long now, Señor. We must help each other or we’re both dead men.
De Soto: I’m afraid neither of those choices appeals to me. (They slash at each other.) Madre de Dios, I’m going to die out here!
Zorro: The blindness will come soon, Alcalde. A truce!
De Soto: You think I would trust you. (They fight again and Zorro ends it by breaking De Soto’s sword. De Soto wanders away.)
Zorro: Alcalde! Come back! (Tornado comes to him.) You’ll have to be my eyes, old boy.
(Nearby)
De Soto: (His vision is failing. He falls off his horse.) Mariposa! Mariposa, come back here! I’ll die out here.
(Trailing after De Soto)
Zorro: What was that? The alcalde’s horse. He can hardly see by now. Where could he have gone?
My sight. It’s returning. The poison’s effect is only temporary. He’s heading for the Cieleto(?) Canyon bridge.
(The bridge)
De Soto: (He struggles to cross the bridge.) My eyes. What’s happened to
my sight? (Inaudible) (He falls.) Help! Help, please!
Zorro: Alcalde!
De Soto: Stay away from me!
Zorro: Even if you make it to the other side, there’s no one around for thirty miles but me.
De Soto: You’re as blind as I am.
Zorro: No! Apparently the symptoms reverse themselves. I can see more clearly by the minute. Alcalde, listen to me. Our differences may be wider than this canyon, but even you know how much I value a life. Let me help you.
De Soto: Very well. I have no choice.
I’m at your mercy, Zorro. (Zorro goes onto the bridge.) How much further?
Zorro: About midway. (De Soto races across the rest of the bridge and takes
out his knife to cut the ropes.) What! (Zorro sees what he’s doing and
runs back the other way.)
De Soto: I’ve waited a long time for this moment. (He cuts one line.
Zorro falls and his leg is caught in the planks.) I told you. I don’t make
deals with outlaws! (He cuts the other line.) Goodbye, my friend.
(Zorro holds onto the bridge as it falls against the side of the ravine. He
whistles for Toronado.) Zorro? You’re alive? (Another rope frays and as
Zorro is barely hanging on, Toronado appears above him.)
Zorro: The rope! (Toronado throws
it down to him. Zorro makes a lasso and throws it around Tornado’s neck. Tornado
pulls him to safety.)
De Soto: Zorro?
Zorro: Keep pulling. Good boy.
De Soto: What’s this? It’s happening. I can see again. (His vision clears and he sees Zorro mounted on Toronado on the other side of the canyon.) No!
Zorro: I’ve overjoyed your vision has returned. Now you’ll be able to witness my escape.
De Soto: You’re not going to leave me here.
Zorro: I think a newer version of the old proverb is called for. Don’t destroy your bridges until after you’ve crossed them.
(Later. De Soto sees dry bones and cries out. He is about to try to drink from a cactus when the lancers appear.)
Mendoza: Alcalde, Oh, Alcalde, it’s so good to see you.
De Soto: For once in my life, Sergeant, the feeling is mutual. (He drinks from the offered canteen.) Mariposa, she’s across the ravine. If he drinks from that contaminated pool—
Mendoza: Oh no, no. Don’t worry, Alcalde. Zorro took him back safely to Los Angeles. He’s in good shape. As a matter of fact, Zorro told us where to find you.
De Soto: He did?
Mendoza: Yes, see, Zorro is hard to
understand. He has his own code of honor.
De Soto: Well, he’s a bigger fool than I thought he was. As soon as I’m rested,
I’m getting back on Mariposa. I’m going to hunt him down and this time, I’m not
going to fail.
Mendoza: Well, as I say. He has his own code of honor. He has sold Mariposa.
De Soto: He what?!
Mendoza: Yes, he sold her to a passing traveler. Six thousand pesos. He got a good price.
De Soto: Six! Then I’ll add horse stealing to his long list of crimes.
Mendoza: Oh, not exactly, mi alcalde.
You see, he paid the horse tax for the entire pueblo. (De Soto collapses
against a rock.) Have a little more.
De Soto: Get your hands off me.
(The stream. Diego sets off an explosion there.)
Diego: Now, at least no one will ever drink from that pond again. (Felipe signs) What’s this place called? I have no idea. Why don’t we call it Blind Man’s Bluff?
The End