Attempted Rape: Wilson (the episode's villain) — already on thin ice with the Native American Paiute tribe and other traders in Nevada Territory for his underhanded ethics, involving everything from theft and embezzlement to refusing to honor trading contracts — and his brothers beat up two of the natives and, after some sexual harassment, take their women, two Bannocks, for a little "fun." Adam comes in to stop it.
Bathe Her and Bring Her to Me: Strongly implied in the opening scene with Wilson, as he gets his brothers to kidnap two Native American maidens in revenge for a trading deal gone sour.
Cycle of Revenge: The clashes between the white men (led by the charismatic Mike Wilson) and the Paiute tribe grows more violent until tensions explose.
My God, What Have I Done?: The whole battle could have been avoided had Wilson simply been arrested for his crimes and the situation — there were multiple opportunities — defused earlier. Instead, dozens of men from both the Paiute tribe and the California militia lose their lives in one of the series' most violent battles.
Pay Evil unto Evil: The foiled kidnapping of the Bannock maidens triggers a Cycle of Revenge that doesn't end until a very bloody, violent battle.
Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Several elements of the storyline leading up to the final battle are based on the real Paiute War of 1860, which was fought in Nevada, very close to where the fictional Ponderosa is set.
