The High Chaparral

A gang of bandits abducts one of Manolito’s girlfriends and steals the money earned from the cattle herd. Their brazen actions jeopardise the very existence of the Cannon ranch, threatening its survival and casting doubt over its future. The ranch’s fate now hangs in the balance.

Bad Day for a Bad Man is a programme classified as an episode. It falls within the genre of a single‑episode story, presented as part of a larger series of narratives. The title suggests a focus on misfortune befalling a character who is already on the wrong side of the law. The central action revolves around a group of bandits who seize one of Manolito’s girlfriends. In the same raid they make off with money that was meant for cattle, a sum that had been earmarked for the livelihood of the Cannon ranch. Their double theft creates immediate danger for both the woman and the ranch’s financial stability. Because the stolen cattle money was vital to the Cannon operation, the bandits’ actions put the entire ranch at risk. The loss threatens the ranch’s ability to sustain its herd and maintain its standing in the community. This pressure forces the characters to confront the consequences of the kidnapping and the theft. The episode therefore builds tension around the kidnapping, the loss of the cattle funds, and the looming threat to the Cannon ranch’s existence. It highlights how a single criminal act can ripple outward, endangering personal relationships and the economic foundation of a family‑run enterprise.