The High Chaparral

- Season 3

(1969)

The men deliver a herd and celebrate in the local town. The town is rough and Blue has the misfortune to draw the ire of a professional gunman. Blue decides he must stay in town and face the man against the wishes of his dad and the men.

A female friend from Manolito's very early days returns to visit his dad's ranch. She has refused an arranged marriage and is a free spirit much like Manolito. He decides she is the one but Comancheros stop his plans when they kidnap her.

Buck first followed by Blue decides to leave the High Chaparral when they become too frustrated with the way Big John runs the ranch and their lives. Buck is tired of having orders with no notification and feels he receives no respect.

Buck finds silver on a nearby ranch and talks Manolito into partnering with him to buy the ranch. However, both find their free lifestyles catching up with them. They buy the ranch but wonder how to pay it off when they learn the truth.

Buck arrives two days early with a herd for which Big John must pay. He sent Manolito to pick up the money from his father but he is late. When the money is stolen, Manolito tries to make amends by recovering the money to save the ranch.

Big John, Buck, Manolito and most of the men leave the ranch so Blue is left in charge. The men left harass Blue resulting in Blue becoming too lax and Big John's prize stallion stolen creating a riff between Big John and Blue.

Three bandits chase Big John, Victoria and Manolito, injuring Big John and running off the horses. They make their way to a ghost town where a man claiming to be the sheriff helps when the bandits return to the town.

An Army shipment of rifles is stolen by Apaches. Blue is taken captive by the Chief Morales until Big John proves the Apaches were not involved in the attack. Manolito locates the real culprits but no one knows it or his location.

Buck falls for pretty tomboy freighter Charly Converse, who is in a fight with another freighter who does not play fair. The Cannons find Charly interesting as Buck decides with Big John's okay to help her win a contract.

After Victoria heals a wounded Apache, he comes to believe she has magical powers. After he returns to his tribe, he tells the Chief she can cure his son as well. But the Chief's son now has gangrene.

A con man and his daughter pick Big John and Blue as their next target. When they learn Big John has a herd of cattle rounded up to ship out, they blackmail Big John for $25,000 while Blue falls in love. But Victoria is skeptical of the girl.

Bounty hunter Johnny Ringo has been sent by the Army to arrest an Apache hiding with the Apaches for murder and theft. As feared it causes a break in the peace putting the ranch in danger and the near killing of the Cannon men and hands.

Buck and Manolito bring two girls to the ranch who stole their horses and appear to be orphans. One is the daughter of an outlaw and they both want to be like him, which creates problems for Buck and Manolito who have to rescue them.

Mysterious events start occurring on the ranch putting the ranch hands in danger. But who is behind it? Some of the hands quit in fear forcing the Cannons to find who is behind the incidents and why they are occurring.

Victoria is injured when a prisoner, a doctor being held for murder by a marshal, tries to escape. Big John is left with no choice but to have the prisoner operate on her. He has to go against the marshal who believes Victoria will die.

Buck and Manolito decide to take some time off to "work" at their own ranch. They can't agree on what needs to be done while Comancheros are waiting to steal the horses they round up and kill them for stealing their horses earlier.

With Sam gone Big John is driving the men crazy trying to run the ranch alone. They nominate Joe to take over as foreman to which Big John agrees. However, problems surface over one of the new hands Joe hires who he knows has a bad past.

Buck knowingly hires a gunman Johnny Rondo and his son to work at the ranch. Johnny has given up his guns and is taking his son to California. However, three men catch up with them and want revenge for the death of their young brother.

Victoria's father visits and tries to take advantage of the custom Mi Casa, Su Casa which irritates the Cannons. It also creates trouble with the Apaches when he accidentally gives away Apache cattle putting the ranch in danger.

A young Army officer who is an old friend of the Cannons is sent to arrest a neighbor for desertion during the civil war. However, when Blue tries to help him, the incident literally blows up when the officer uses excessive force.

Blue is a temporary deputy for a weekend during which Well Fargo is held up. He arrests Buck and Manolito for disorderly conduct and they unwittingly help him capture the robbers in a weekend of tricks and paybacks between them.

Buck and Victoria are held up as they travel to her dad's hacienda with $1500. Victoria is taken hostage by the robbers and forced to work as the hostess in a bar. Buck heads after her but is captured so they plot their own escape.

Big John is suffering from exhaustion and the cure is time away from the ranch. He and Victoria leave on a delayed honeymoon in San Francisco but things at the ranch don't go so well with Buck, Blue, and Manolito managing it alone.

Buck runs into his Captain from the war in the Army as a Sergeant leading a patrol and wagon of gold to Yuma. They need a scout. He takes on the role only to find his friend and men are stealing the gold and crossing into Mexico.

Blue's style of drawing draws teasing from the men and Big John's concern he is ignoring his work. Victoria submits his work back east where it is published. When he receives an offer to go back east to study, Big John is hurt.

Buck and Manolito go with Victoria to protect her on the way to another ranch to help deliver a baby. However, an attack by Apaches lead to Victoria being taken hostage by an Apache followed by three bank robbers who threaten to kill her.