A gang of four criminals-three men, one women-kidnap Ben and hold him for a $100,000 ransom. Tension mounts as Ben tries to formulate an escape plan by turning the crooks against each other. The guest cast includes Harold J. Stone as Chad, Jacqueline Scott as Willa, and Conlan Carter as Tip. Written by Donn Mullally, "The Hostage" originally aired on September 27, 1964 without commercial interruption, as part of an agreement between the Bonanza producers and their longtime sponsor Chevrolet to air one episode per season sans interior ads. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi