Bonanza: "The Courtship of Candy Canaday."

Chapter Five

Candy follows their trail all the way through the forest when he sees smoke in the distance. He slows his horse down and then quietly mounts down and then sneaks through the bushes. He overhears some men talking in Spanish and then moves further to see Hannah with her hands tied behind her back and laying back against a tree.

Hannah's body trembles with fear when she hears a noise in the bushes. She then hears a voice whisper. "Psst." She gasps as she turns her head to the right of her and Candy then says to her. "Shh, hey, it's alright, it's just me." "Candy?" She says in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" "I followed your trail, I came to get you out of here." Candy tells her. "Candy, please, you need to get out of here now." Hannah tells him, anxiously. "No, I'm not gonna.." Candy stops mid-sentence when he hears the sound of a gun cocking. "Qué pasa, mi amigo."

Candy slowly puts his hands up as he turns around to see a familiar face. Candy's expression turns to disbelief as he sees Angel Montana standing right in front of him. "Montana?" Montana chuckles as he says. "Candy? Ha-ha! I don't believe it! Surprised to see me alive, eh?" "How did you.." Candy starts to say when Montana tells him. "It was not easy, amigo…I have the scars to prove it." Montana holds up his gloved hand as Candy looks at it and he then takes notice of the burn marks on the side of his face. Montana then asks him. "You still think you're on the right side, amigo?" Candy doesn't respond as Montana looks over at Hannah and grins as he asks. "Is this your sweetheart, huh?" Candy turns his head to Hannah who looks away from him as she tries to keep her anger under control and Montana then remarks. "She is a fiery one, eh?" Candy responds with. "That's one thing we can probably agree on." He then turns his head back to Montana and tells him. "But I'm gonna need you to let her go." Montana chuckles as he responds. "Ay, I am sorry, I cannot do that, you see I need a hostage, and.." He bends down to Hannah as he pulls out a knife and moves it along her face. "She is simply too beautiful to part with." Candy then says to him. "If you need a hostage, take me instead." "Ah, that is very tempting, amigo, but I have a better idea." He gets up from the ground and then comes up to him and says. "Why don't I take you both..as my hostages." He grins as Candy looks at him sternly and Montana then holds his hand out to him as he says. "Your gun, amigo."

Candy removes his gun belt and hands it over to him as Montana then signals to his men who then grab Candy and tie his hands behind his back and then push him over to Hannah and set him down next to her. Candy then looks up at him and says to him. "You're not gonna get away with this, you know." Montana gives him a smug grin as he responds. "Where are your army friends now, amigo?" Candy glares at him as Montana chuckles and walks back over to his tent.

Candy then looks over at Hannah as he remarks. "Well, this at least gives us time to..talk." "I already told you I have nothing to say to you." Hannah tells him, sternly. "And I don't know where that man got the idea that we're together because we're not. I'm not your girl and I will not now nor ever be your girl." Candy then responds in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "Well, it's nice to know you've forgiven me." She scoffs. Candy then says to her. "I thought you didn't need anyone to rescue you." "I don't, so what are you doing here?" She asks. Candy pauses and then replies. "Rescuing you." She rolls her eyes as Candy looks over at Montana and the two other men by the campfire as he leans into Hannah and says to her, softly so Montana won't hear. "I have a knife in my back pocket. I'll distract them while you reach in and grab it and then I want you to hand it to me, alright?" She gives him a look of uneasiness as she says. "Candy, please.." "Hannah, I need you to trust me." Candy tells her. "Can you do that?" She looks at him and then replies. "I guess I have no choice." "No, I guess you don't." Candy says and Hannah then nods and Candy then turns his head and calls out. "Hey you!" He whistles. "Come here!"

The man with the red bandana around his neck looks at Candy and then at Montana who nods his head, signaling for him to go over to him and the man then walks over to Candy and then asks him. "What do you want?" Hannah carefully starts reaching over into Candy's pocket to grab the knife as Candy replies. "I was just wondering if I could trouble you for a drink, I'm kind of thirsty." "You have not earned that privilege, senor." He tells him. Hannah pulls out the knife and places it into Candy's hands as he responds. "Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" He then begins cutting away at the ropes as he nods his head towards Montana and asks. "So what do you get out of all of this, huh?" The man with the red bandana gives a soft chuckle as he places his foot on top of the log in front of him and places his arms over his rifle as he replies. "Montana promised me a third of the gold, I could not pass up the offer." "And you believe him." Candy says. He responds with. "He clothed me..he fed me. He took good care of me when I was all alone after my family died. Why should I not believe his word is as good as the gold, eh?" He chuckles as Candy grins and then tells him. "Well, for one thing he's a liar. He's only using you to get what he wants and once he's got it, he'll toss you aside and leave you to die, first chance he gets." The man grins as he gives a soft chuckle. "Heh. I think you are the liar, senor." Candy shrugs his shoulders a bit as the man with the red bandana looks over at Hannah and then says with a smug grin. "Maybe after we leave you to die.." He moves his hand across Hannah's face as she looks at him in disgust and moves her head away from him. "This beautiful vixen can be our sweetheart, eh?" "Keep your hands off her." Candy tells him, sternly. He looks at him and chuckles and then asks him. "Are you going to make me senor?" "Yeah.." Candy says and then quickly takes a swing at him and knocks him down to the ground as Candy gets up and then says to him. "I think I will."