North Fork was gettin' themselves a new preacher from Kansas. We were kinda anxious to meet them. Hattie, Mark and I went on to over their house
and started to unpack their thing. As we we're unpacking Mark came across a switch. He wondered what it was. "It's what you call a switch. It makes a short crop of hair into a crowning glory", said Hattie. "Seems to me that's pure deceitful", said Mark. "And her a preachers wife", laughed Mark. "A preachers wife can want to look nice", I said. "You don't have to be homely to get into heaven", said Hattie. "Kinda give you a funny feeling. Well, ah, I mean meeting folks things before you meet them. It kinda makes you keel like ya know 'em already." He started to describe how he thought they looked like just by seeing their things. "Well, ah, I'd say he's kind of little and big and old. And his voice has all the barb wire in it from shouted all that fire and brimstone. We laughed. "And her", asked Hattie. "Well, she's kinda small, and peaked, maybe plain", as he held up the switch. Suddenly we heard a woman say, "would it make so much difference?" Micah had brought the Gethers to their new home. He introduced them to us. You should have seen the look on Mark's face. Was he ever surprised when he saw them. They were nothing like he had described them to be. We decided to leave and let them rest. I'm sure it was a long trip for them.
We didn't know the Gethers,
so we assumed these people were who they said they were. We didn't know that they had killed the Gethers and took over their identity. They really were a part of a gang who planned on robbing the North Fork Bank. Which were hiding in their wagon. Mrs. Gethers was really Laurie Hadley who was married to the leader of the gang, Spence Hadley. The preacher was really Dan Hewitt. He and Mrs. Hadley were in love with each other. Of course, Mr. Hadley didn't know that. The other two members of the gang were Bro, Spence's [the leader] slow witted brother and the other dude was Walt Durkins.
Mark had gone fishing. He had a pretty good catch for the day. So he decided to take some over to the Gethers. Mark went to the front door and knocked. He kept knocking and calling Mrs. Gethers. No one answered. He decided to take a look out back. As he approached the back of the ranch he saw Mrs. Gethers setting on the edge of the well brushing her long pretty hair. As she tuned her head she saw Mark watching her. "Well, you don't make much noise, you come for something?" She said asked Mark. He was surprised seeing her long hair, after seeing that switch the other day. He cleared his throat and said "yup, trout. I caught 'em."
Mrs. Gethers took the sack of fish and started to tell Mark how neighborly it was of him when he ran off.
The whole gang was hanging out inside the house. Spence wanted to know what the boy wanted. "Looks like I got me a bow, he brought me some trout". He asked her if he said anything. "He kept starring at me, like I got two heads." With that she touched her long hair and suddenly remembered the switch that Mark had unpacked the other day. "Dan the switch." Spence wanted to know what was going on. Dan told him about the other day when Mark came across the switch while unpacking the trunk. Spence was sure they burned all the Gethers belongings. They must have shipped this one ahead. Spence was angry. He told Dan to get him back here. Laurie pleaded with Spence not to hurt the boy. He told her to shut up and sent Dan after Mark.
Micah and I were in his office talking. Micah hadn't been feeling to well, and I was trying to talk him into going to the doctors. Mark came barging in. "Pa, Pa wait....." "Not now", I said. "But Pa, it will only take a minute..." "Not now", I said. I told him to wait outside. He asked for permission to go to Hattie's. I told him alright, but to wait there. "A little short with the boy, weren't you Lucas?" "He's got to learn not to interrupt", I said. I told Micah he was the one that I was worried about now. He agreed to go see the doc when he got back from Willow Springs.
When Mark left Micah's office he ran into the preacher. He convinced Mark to come back to their place so his wife could thank him. He told Mark it wasn't Christian or neighborly to run like that. When he took Mark into the kitchen. The whole gang was there. Spence wanted to
know what all Mark had told me. He told him he never got to talk to me because I was talking to Micah. He insisted he didn't know about what. Mark told them that I was meeting him at Hattie's, and he better know. Spence laughed at Mark and pushed him back in the chair.
Micah and I headed over to Hattie's. I thought I would treat him to a hotel supper. Hattie said she hadn't seen Mark since yesterday. I was upset with Mark. We looked every where we could think of. It was dark now, still no Mark. "Think maybe the boys hiding?" Ask Micah. "No he learned his lesson, remember the
'Surveyors'?" Micah reminded me that I had tromped on Mark's feeling earlier that day. I felt he wouldn't hide, not this time. "No use worrying, said Micah, he'll be back." Something was wrong here. I had to keep looking for Mark until I found him. I left Micah at his office door and started off again, I was determined to find my boy. Suddenly Micah called to me, "Lucas, mind if I come along?" We kept looking for Mark.Spence and his gang were getting ready to do their dirty deed. Spence had Bro tie Mark up in the barn. There was a church meeting in the town tonight. This was the night the gang planned on robbing the bank. The fake Gethers was suppose to distract the townfolks by having them sing really extra loud while the rest of the gang made their move on the bank.
It was starting to get dark. We headed over to the barn. I looked in. I didn't see anything except for the preacher's wagon. We started to head towards another part of town. Suddenly it struck me funny, why would the preacher ship his trunk when he had such a large wagon? I decided to go and have another look. This time I slowly poked my head around the barn door. Bro turned, and saw me. He drew his pistol, but I was a faster. I shot and killed him. Micah recognized Bro. We then untied Mark. He told us all about the so called preacher and his wife. He told us about Spence and Walt. He had heard them talking about blasting powder and drills. I told Mark to go over to Micah's office and this time wait for me.
As we headed over towards the bank we ran into Spence and Walt. They starting shooting at us. I shot Walt but Spence got away. Spence rushed into the church and hollered "Alright the meetin's over, sit down". He then ran up to the so called preacher and his wife and told them it was time to get out of there. When they got outside Dan wanted to know what happened. Spence told them that somebody must have tipped them off. He told them that they were the only two out of the house. "Oh no, Spence your wrong. Why would we do a thing like that"? Said Laurie. "Bro and Walt are dead. Maybe you figured I would be too. Then there'd just be you and him. Except it don't work like that. He went to shoot Dan but Laurie stepped in from of him. Spence killed her by mistake. Dan then drew his pistol, shot and killed Spence. When we got there Dan
was holding Laurie in his arms, weeping. Mark came running to see what had happened. He stood there looking and sadly said, "she had real nice hair".
We we're waiting in Micah's office for him to get back from the doctors office. "When are we gonna get supper, I'm hungry"? Asked Mark. "So am I Mark. We'll eat just as soon as Micah gets back from the doctors". "Pa, do you think a real preacher would come here now"? Asked Mark. "I think so Mark. We're just bad enough to need one and good enough to want one". Just then Micah came in. "What did he say"? "Well.....I don't know if I should feel relieved or insulted"? "Stop playing game, what did he say Micah"? "He said it was from eatin' my own cookin'. Told me to try out the hotel cafe for a couple of weeks". We all laughed. "Well, what are we waiting for, lets eat". Said Micah. "Can I have the 50¢ steak", asked Mark. "Mark.....tonight you can have the 75¢ steak, said Micah, I'm buying". We all headed for the hotel.
Piddlin' stuff.....Chris Alcaide played Spence in this episode of 'A Time for Singing'. How many times did he star on the show? 'Squeeze Play' - 'The Wyoming Story' (2) - 'The Wyoming Story' (1) - 'Dead Cold Cash' - 'Meeting at Midnight' - 'The Journey Back' - 'A Case of Identity' - 'Obituary' ~ '
The Trade'.
Chris Alcaide played a really great bad guy. I think out of all the episodes I like him best in 'The Wyoming Story.' How about that nasty scare on his face? I bet Lucas gave that to him! teasin'
He appeared with Chuck in "Branded" - 'Leap Upon Mountains' & 'This Stage of Fools'
Gee how many times did John Anderson star in "The Rifleman?" Who appeared in the most episodes Chris Alcaide or John Anderson? Hmmmmm.....How about John Milford?Robert Knapp played Dan Hewitt in this episode. He's the one who pretends to be Reverend Gethers. He played Benjamin "Ben" Olson (1965) in the TV soap "Days of our lives". He appeared in such shows as "Hopalong Cassidy" ~ "The Roy Rogers show" ~ "Cheyenne" ~ "Gunsmoke" ~ "The F.B.I." ~ "Dragnet". He appeared with Chuck in "Tomahawk Trail" as Pvt. Barrow in 1957 - before "The Rifleman".
Patricia Barry as Laurie Hadley in 'A Time for Singing.' She 'supposedly' was the new preacher's wife. She played Adele Adams, North Fork's school teacher for two episodes - 'The Woman' and the 'Three Legged Terror.'
Patricia was in several Soaps - "All My Children" ~ "Days of Our Lives" ~ "The Guiding Light." She has mad 105 guest appearances and has over 50 other appearances, which she is credited with. Patricia Barry is probably best known to modern viewers for her performances in two "Twilight Zone" installments, "The Chaser" (1960) and "I Dream of Jeannie," wherein she pulled off the dexterous task of being both sexy and funny at the same time.John Milford appeared as Bro Hadley in this episode 'A Time for Singing.' He played Spence's slow witted brother. He has appeared in more episodes of "The Rifleman" then I thought. 11 episodes! [gee, does that break any records?] 'The Assailants' ~ 'The Journey Back' ~ 'The Clarence Bibs Story' ~ 'Dark Day at North Fork' ~ 'Baranca' ~ 'The Pitchman' ~ 'Meeting at Midnight' ~ 'The Horse Traders' ~ 'The Coward' ~ 'The Blowout'. Remember him in the episode of 'Dark Day at North Fork?" He played Jack Solby, he tried to kill Lucas when he was blind? He was another guest star on "The Untouchables."
He was credited with the original design for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Bob Osterloh played Walt Durkins in this episode he played a bad dude, he was the member of the gang. He appeared in shows as "Gunsmoke" ~ "Wagon Train" ~ "One Step Beyond" ~ "The Untouchables" ~ "The Deputy" ~ "Run for your Life" ~ "The F.B.I."
Hope Summers as Hattie Denton, owner of The General Store. Hope Summers appeared in 16 episodes as Hattie Denton. Hattie was first introduced to "The Rifleman" in 'Eight Hours to Die.'
Chris Alcaide and John Milford appeared together in three episodes of "The Rifleman." 'A Time for Singing,' 'Meeting at Midnight' and 'The Journey Back.'
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with
