A Matter of Faith

There was a drought in North Fork. One of the worse we had seen. Many of the ranchers were ready to give up. Our well was really low, we were down to eight, maybe nine inches, but some of the wells were a lot lower then ours. The drought had been hard on everybody, except for boys. When I told Mark to get ready to go into town; he seemed to take advantage of the fact of not having to wash up and change his clothes. But knowing we needed all the water we had for others

things I would let it slide by for now.

When we got into town I told Mark to go on ahead to Hattie's and I would meet him there later. "You figure we oughta spend the money with things going so bad?" Asked Mark. "Well I like to think they'll get better son. And the.....time for candy is mighty short," I said. Just as Mark jumped off the buckboard he bumped into a man with a bag of candy in his hand. The candy fell to the ground. Mark apologized. The man said it was his fault, he told Mark he was walkin' blind. Mark helped him pick up the candy. The man wiped the candy off and put it back into the bag. He then offered Mark some candy. I told him that Mark could buy his own. I told Mark to go on his way. The man told me he didn't mean any harm. Then he went on his way.

Micah then walked up to me. I asked him who he was. He said he didn't know and that he had just rode into town. He said that was the least he had to worry about. He then motioned to a man talking to a crowd of men outside of the saloon. "His name is Mathers, he's hiring for the railroad camps and makin' it sound all mighty good," said Micah. As I listened to him talking to the men, it sure seemed that a lot of them were buying what he had to say. "No sure.....sure.....you can stay here. You can stay here and watch the sun burn up your land.....you can watch the sun melt the life out of your stock.....watch your cattle drop dead.....fifteen.....twenty head a day.....that thin that the bones are coming through.....the hides aren't worth the takin'. You can sit here and mortify yourselves or.....or you can stop eatin' dust and hire out to the railroad.....three dollars a day and keep. Three dollars a day.....hard money in your pocket at the end of every week! Come rain.....come shine.....it's no skin off your noses. Why it worth just that to be able to spit at the sun." He told the men they had to sign up for one year that less then that wouldn't pay them or the railroad. "Are you with us?" Asked Mathers. One of the town's folk, Jeff Borden walked over to me and asked me what I thought. "Well if you're askin' me.....I'm stickin' with the land. I know you've been thinkin' on quitting Jeff, your boy told mine." "Comes to an end to what a man can take," said Jeff. "Nobody

said the life is easy. The land gives up hard and takes back fast. You leave it even for a year.....you'll find twice the work when you come back.....if you come back!" I said. Mathers and his partner Hode Evans were takin' in everything that was being said. They didn't like what they were hearing from me. They were here to recruit men for the railroad and thought this would be easy because of the drought. I told the men that one thing we had for certain was the land. Just then Hode came up from behind me. "You ain't got nothing but dust mister!" Said Hode. He then threw a handful of dirt into the air between Jeff and me. It blew in my face and over the brim of my hat. Mathers laughed it off and then told everybody the drinks were on him. "Ain't no harm in takin' a drink," said Jeff as the men piled into the saloon.

Micah walked up to me and motioned for us to join them in the saloon. Micah and I was standing at the saloon listening to what all Mathers was telling the men. We didn't like a man that was too reasonable or too free with his whiskey. Just then the man who Mark had bumped into earlier came up to us. He told me I was right to stay; that I wouldn't lack any water. Everybody stopped talking and wanted to hear what the man had to say. He said he could tell us where to find water. He said there was water everywhere. Then he quoted the Bible....."His spirits on the face of the waters....." "He's everywhere so there's got to be water everywhere.....just so you believe." I offered to buy him a drink but he refused. Jeff approached the man and asked him if he heard him talking about water. He said he wasn't just talkin'. He asked if we ever heard of water witchery? I had heard of it. It was lookin' for water with a willow stick. "Not lookin'.....findin'.....but you've got to believe,"

he said. He said to ask anybody from Vermont about Jonas Epps. Jeff thought it might be worth a try. I told them about how my father once paid $100 to a water witcher and they got nothing for it. We were so poor; my mother didn't get a new dress for three years. Jonas said that was because we didn't believe. He said it didn't matter what happened before, I just needed to tell him I believed, which I didn't. I then left the saloon and was surprised to find Mark outside. "I said I'd meet you at Hattie's!" I said to Mark. "But.....you were here," said Mark. We needed to get our supplies so we headed over to Hattie's.

While we were loading the wagon with supplies, I noticed Mark daydreaming. "Sack too heavy?" I asked him. "I can handle it," said Mark. "Pa.....you figure that old man was lying? I mean about finding water and all." "No, I wouldn't say he was lying.....sometimes people get ideas." "Sure would like to see how he does it," said Mark. "Figure I could ask him sometime?" "You save your breathe for coolin' your soup," I said. I then told Mark that I didn't mean that disrespectful to Mr. Jonas. Mark wished I had liked him. I told I did like him, he was a nice old man, but you can't always go by your feelings. I knew he meant well, but he could do folks a lot of harm by getting their hopes up about the water.

Hode was getting edgy about Mr. Jonas. Mather told him he didn't have to worry about him, but Hoke wasn't so sure and convince Mather that he needed to make sure Mr. Jonas didn't find water. So when Mr. Jonas left the saloon Hoke followed him. He gathered him up quickly and took him along side of the saloon. Hoke roughed Mr. Jonas up and warned him not to talk water or look for water. Mark happened to glance up and saw what was going on. He drew it to my attention. I rushed over to help Mr. Jonas. I pulled Hoke away from Mr. Jonas and told him to start walkin'. I asked him if he was okay, he nodded he was. I told him Mark and I would walk over with him to the hotel. He wasn't staying at the hotel, he said he just bed down any old place. I knew what Mark was about to say, so I told Mr. Jonas he could stay with us for the night. Mark said he would get Mr. Jonas's mule and hitch on the back of the wagon.

We were headed for the wagon

when Jeff Borden called to me. "Lucas.....been lookin' for ya'! We've been thinkin' it would be worth it to give him a chance." That put a smile on Mark's face. He asked the old man if he'd be at his place tomorrow morning. Mr. Jonas didn't answer. I turned and looked at him and then told Borden he would be there.

The whole time Mathers and Hode stood there listening. Mather's told Hode that whatever he was thinking he was to forget it. "Mr. Mather's.....I don't know what you're talkin' about," said Hode.

Mark couldn't wait to get back to the ranch so he and Mr. Jonas could look for water. They went lookin' for a spot. Mark asked Mr. Jonas why Hode had jumped him. Mr. Jonas told him that Hode was workin' for the other fellow and they were afraid he would find water and hurt their chances of hiring for the railroad. Mark asked him if he thought Hode could spot him tomorrow. Mr. Jonas said that Hode didn't scare him none.....shook him up a mite coming on him like that. Mark told him he should tell me. But Mr. Jonas couldn't see tellin' me because he knew I figured he wouldn't find water that I didn't believe. "You believe I can do it boy?" Asked Mr. Jonas. "Well sure I do!" Exclaimed Mark.

They started to go over the ranch with a willow stick. Suddenly I heard Mark yelling from outside. I couldn't image what was going on. I grabbed my rifle and hurried out only to find that they thought Mr. Jonas had found water. I told Mr. Jonas I would like to see the water. He just stood there looking at me. "I made it a rule, never to trick the boy, " I said. "Supper's on.....let's go eat son."

While having supper with Mr. Jonas, Mark wouldn't shut up. He keeps trying to force food and conversation on him. I finally had to say something. "Mark it's not polite to force a guest!" "If he's hungry he'll eat." Mr. Jonas was feeling down and didn't have much of an appetite. Mark asked Mr. Jonas if he liked to play checkers after supper. "Thank you boy! But I'm going to be busy! Yes sir.....I've been thinkin' on it and you and ain't nobody gonna say I can't find water!" He then seemed excited and started to eat. Mark was glad to see Mr. Jonas's spirits were lifted.

After supper Mark and Mr. Jonas were setting on the porch. Mr. Jonas was workin' on his witchery stick. I told Mark it was time to get ready for bed. He didn't want to go to bed yet; he said it was too warm in the house. I told him he would have to go to bed soon. Mark asked Mr. Jonas if he thought it was going to work.

"You just keep thinkin' it will son," he said to Mark. Mr. Jonas had changed his mind and decided to use elm instead of willow. We will see.....I was thinking to myself.

I could hear the horses, something was stirring them. Suddenly a shot rang out towards us. I yelled for Mark and Mr. Jonas to get inside. I threw the lantern away from in front of the house so we wouldn't be sitting ducks. I fired several shots then ran into the house closing the door behind us. I went over to the table and blew out the lantern. "Stay where you are!" I told Mark and Mr. Jonas. I then ran into the bedroom and crawled out of the bedroom window hoping to surprise whoever was out there. There stood Hode on my porch outside the door. "You first McCain.....that rifle don't give you no odds this close!" He didn't know I had come along side of the house to the front. "Come on out!" yelled Hode. "I'm out!" Hode turned and was ready to shoot me. I shot first and killed him. "Pa....." "It's alright, son." "That's him.....he didn't want Mr. Jonas to find any water," said Mark. "I know." I turned to Mr. Jonas and said....."It comes hard to me killing a man. I hope you can prove I had good reason."

The next day just about everybody in town was getting ready to head on out to the Borden Ranch. We we're all meeting in town. Micah even locked up his office and was ready to head out to see if Mr. Jonas could bring us water. When I drove in town with the buckboard several of the town folks were arguing. Borden asked where Mr. Jonas was. I told him that he and Mark took the shortcut. Borden asked why I didn't take it. I told him I had business with Micah. Micah walked over to the buckboard and lifted the blanket. He saw it was Hode. He called Mathers over to take a look. "I told you he was unpredictable," said Mather. "You didn't say he was dead!" Exclaimed Micah. I told Micah he tried to kill the old man last night. I then turned to Borden and said....."And these are the ones you were going to do business with." "Gentlemen.....I didn't have nothing to do with this!" Exclaimed Mather. "You were his partner," I said to Mather. "In business.....but not murder! I didn't leave the hotel last night, you can ask the clerk." Micah couldn't charge Mather, but he could run him out of town. Everybody started for Mather; he took off like a scared rabbit.

Borden told Mr. Jonas he had twelve hundred acres to find water on, he was to help himself. Mr. Jonas started slowly walking around the land, everybody was watching him. As the day went on the hotter it got. Still no water. Benson was getting inpatient. Mr. Jonas tried to tell Benson something wasn't right. He said he just couldn't find water. "He never could!" I said. Mark turned to me and said....."He's scared Pa!" Borden stood there yelling at Mr. Jonas, saying he was a fake and never could find water. "I ought to put a bullet in ya' myself!" Said Borden. "Ain't nothing you can do to me that he ain't done wo

rse to me already!" Mr. Jonas meaning me as he looked at me. "Look ole' timer....." "No.....when you kill a man its over and done with.....but if somebody don't believe in a man.....he looses faith in himself. Even back home if somebody didn't believe I couldn't find no water." ""Well you did it yesterday.....I saw ya'.....you can do it again.....I know.....please Mr. Jonas." said Mark. Mr. Jonas looked at Mark. He knew it was 'A Matter of Faith' and Mark had enough faith for all of us. Mr. Jonas then started again looking for water. "Mr. Jonas!" Called Mark. "I was thinking.....maybe some candy," as Mark open his bag of candy to him. Mr. Jonas took a piece of candy and then started off again. I walked up to Mark and said....."I'm sorry Mark, for you and him both." All that was left now was the land. Low and behold that ole' stick of Mr. Jonas's started to quiver as Mr. Jonas fell to his knees. It started to thunder and lightening. It was raining. Everybody started yelling out of joy. "You believe him now Pa?" I look at my son and said....."Do you have any of that candy for me?" I was proud of him for believing, everybody needs someone to believe in them. Mr. Jonas was fortunate to have Mark.

piddlin' stuff.....Royal Dano played Jonas Epps the rain maker in this episode of 'A Matter of Faith.' He appeared in several episodes of "The Rifleman" ~ He played the Confederate Solider - Private Frank Blanden in 'The Sheridan Story.' 'A Case of Identity' as Aaron Wingate. He was the man who was searching for his long loss son, Robert. 'Honest Abe' as Able "Abe" Lincoln. Able suffered a mental shock during the civil war and as a result believes he is Abraham Lincoln. 'Day of Reckoning' as Reverend Jamison. He was the minister who was once a crooked outlaw.
In later years he again appeared with Chuck Connors in a made for TV movie called "Once Upon A Texas Train." I find it interesting that out of all the things he done - he never appeared in "Branded"
He appeared in many movies. A few were "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "Back to the Planet of the Apes," "Cahill ~ U.S. Marshal," "The Undefeated" and "Killer Klowns From Outer Space." "Savage Sam" to the voice of Marley's ghost in "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol." As far as TV appearances, he has done oodles and oodles of guest appearances. He has done the role Of Abraham Lincoln many of times. He did Lincoln's voice for Walt Disney's Hall of Presidents in both Disneyland and Disney World. First Presidents exhibit at the World's Fair 1960. His voice is still used today. Provided the voice of Disney's audioanimatronic Abraham Lincoln in "Great Moments with Mister Lincoln," presented as part of the State of Illinois pavilion during the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.

Parley Baer appeared as Walter Mather in 'A Matter of Faith.' He also appeared in another episode of "The Rifleman." 'A Friend in Need' as Neff Packer. He's the one who arranged Mark's kidnapping so he could get the mortgage to the McCain Ranch.
Parley Baer appeared in a lot of great shows. I remember him best as Mayor Stoner in "The Andy Griffith Show and The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" as Darby

Bing Russell played Hode Evans in this episode. He's the one who beat on Mr. Jonas and threw the dirt at Lucas. He also appeared in another episode as Sanchez in 'Seven,' he was one of the condemned murderers who escaped and took over the town of North Fork.
He appeared in "Branded" with Chuck in the episode 'Very few Heroes' and 'The Golden Fleece'
He appeared in "Bonanza" as Deputy Clem Foster from 1963 -1973. He appeared in "The Magnificent Seven." Another "Untouchables" star.
He also was the father of actor Kurt Russell. He appeared in "Overboard" with his son, Kurt & Goldie Hawn. He's done a lot of great stuff!

Michael Hinn as Jeff Borden. He was the towns folk who asked for Lucas' opinion about the land when Mather was trying to get the ranchers to sign up with the railroad.
He also appeared in "Bonanza" in an episode of the same name.....'A Matter of Faith.' He had appeared in many westerns.
"The Mechanic"—"The Guns of Will Sonnett"—"The Big Valley"—"Dundee and the Culhane"—"Slattery's People"—"Rawhide"—"The Greatest Show on Earth"—"The Untouchables"—"Gunsmoke"—"Ben Casey"—"Frontier Justice"—"Guestward Ho!"—"The Devil's Messenger"—"The Tall Man"— "Zane Grey Theater"—"Law of the Plainsman"—"Shotgun Slade"—"Black Saddle"—"Whirlybirds"—"The Texan"—"Tales of Wells Fargo"—"Sky King"—"13 Demon Street"—"Mike Hammer"—"Have Gun - Will Travel"—"Broken Arrow"—"Boots and Saddles"

When Lucas got dressed in the morning, he sure is fiddlin' with his boots for a long time - why - he already had them on?

'A Matter of Faith'—When Hode shoots at Jonas, Mark, and Lucas, everyone dives for cover. Lucas returns fire and Mark scrambles to get inside the house. Mark ends up scooting backward right between Lucas' legs.