Mark was sitting in the wagon outside the bank waiting for me when Sweeney came up to him and asked him if he had see the Marshal. "No, sir," said Mark. Sweeney then entered the bank. I was making a deposit. Sweeney needed change. "A $500 bill," said John surprisingly. I asked Sweeney what he was charging for beer these days. He told us that Colonel Craig was back in town. He felt that the Colonel was fleecing everybody from here to Sunday. There wasn't anything he could do about it. He couldn't catch him at it. "If you see Micah, would you send him over quick? "Sure." "I've got a feeling this lambs gonna fight bac
k." "Oh, who is he?" asked John. "A stranger who rode in this morning. He calls himself Lariat Jones." Boy was I ever surprised when he said that. I hurried over to the saloon to see my old friend Lariat.
Lariat was in the middle of a card came with the Colonel. The steaks were getting pretty high. Lariat called. The Colonel showed his hand. He had a high royal flush in spades. He was sure he had Lariat beat. Lariat turned his cards up one at a time. He had four aces. With both hands holding the ace of spades. "Well sir, it appears that one of us is a cheater," said the Colonel. he picks up one of the aces lying on the table and tosses it up in the air and shoots a hole in it dead center. Lariat then asks him, "Which one of us Colonel?" He had his gun held on the Colonel. A friend of the Colonel backs up and starts to draw on Lariat. I kicked his arm and knock his gun out of his hand. I then pushed him aside. "Well Luke, how ya' doin'" He asked. "How's Mark?" The Colonel and his friend started to edge towards the door. I flip my rifle and asked Lariat what he wanted to do with these two? "Whatever you think," said Lariat. I take my rifle and aim it at them. "Now wait, wait, wait," said the Colonel. "We shoot card sharks in this part of the country mister." I said. He told us he was just getting ready to leave if he could just get his hat. He grabbed his hat and said good day. We laughed. It was good to see him. I told him that Mark and I was gonna take him back to the ranch for some bachelor cookin'. As we were getting ready to leave a Matt Wymerman introduced himself to Lariat. Lariat told him he would get back to him later. Just as we got outside of the
saloon Mark pulls up in the wagon. I asked him if he remembered Lariat. "You were knee high to a spotted colt. That was a long time ago." said Lariat. "Well how do you do?" Asked Mark. "He's the image of her Luke." I told Mark we were taking Lariat to the ranch for dinner.
After dinner Lariat showed Mark some of his card tricks. He asked if it was a tricked deck. Lariat assured him it wasn't. He told Mark he plays card because he enjoys it. He never uses a trick deck or a marked deck, that would be cheating. He found it much more fun to play cards for the skill. I told Mark he better get the dishes done. To my surprised he gave me no argument.
I asked Lariat how long he planned on staying in town. He told me that would depend on his meeting. Lariat settle down. Boy that was a surprise. He was story telling how he happened here. Mark sure was enthralled with his story. Then when Lariat made a card come out from no where, Mark was so surprised that he dropped the pan he was drying. He had to get back to town for his meeting. As Lariat put it, "This may or may not be a witches brew." I told Mark that witches brew was kind of a warning signal Lariat and I use to have. I told Mark that Lariat was wild and footloose. The closest friend I ever had. Lariat was in love with Margaret too. When she picked me, things never went right for him. "You mean he could have been my Pa?" Asked Mark. "Could have been," I answered.
Wymerman, his partner and Lariat struck up a deal to
open a gambling house here in North Fork. They shook hands on it. "Now remember, this house is going to be run straight, nothing fancy," said Lariat. Wymerman agreed.
Micah was concerned when he saw that the Silver Dice Saloon opened. He knew Wymerman was opening up a saloon, but that was it. He felt they did everything sneaky. I told him I would vouch for Lariat. He had done some checking up on Wymerman. It seems that he was run out of Abilene last year for running a crooked gambling house among other things.
I went over to talk to Lariat. I asked him how long he had known Wymerman. He felt long enough. He got upset when I told him we didn't want a crooked game in North Fork. I told him that this town meant a lot to me. "Well this place means a lot to me, Luke." He then walked away.
I stayed in town wanting to check things out for myself. Things seemed to be going pretty good. We had a drink together and I wished him luck. He gave me his word that the house was run straight. Just then Wymerman walked up and started to talk to me. I thanked Lariat for the beer and walked away. Just then someone accused the dealer of using a marked deck. I went back over to Wymerman and told him that if I found out this was a crooked house he would be closed down, fast. As I got to my horse I heard a shot coming from the gambling house. Fred was dead.
Micah, Sweeney, John a
nd I gathered at Micah's office to discuss what had just happened. As far as we could see the deck was not marked. Witnesses said it looked like Fred was gonna draw his gun. But yet he had no gun. Sweeney said if it wouldn't had happened tonight it would have happened some other time. Sweeney felt he had no voice here, he wanted to see them shut down. "We all have a voice here," said Micah. "Now listen to me Lucas. We all know Lariat's your friend. Sometimes a man's friend is like a reflection of himself and he wants it to be good. He's ashamed if he isn't." Micah felt that if they were running a crooked game they would cut their own throats. He felt it would only take a couple of day to find out. It's the end of the month and that's when the Morody and the and the bar Q boys would be in with $5,000 in cattle money. I wouldn't want to tangle with them, not with a rigged game.
It was Saturday night. Lariat was loosing. Wymerman told one of the card dealers to relieve Lariat and send him to his office. Wymerman was upset. "A few more pots like that and we'll be out of business," said Wymerman. He felt they could have a killing with all that bar Q money out there. He wanted to know what was wrong with him. Lariat told him he was having a bad night. he handed Lariat a marked deck. Lariat wanted no part of it. That was his money on the table and he wanted Lariat to get it back. Wymerman's partner held a gun on Lariat
and they sent him on his way. Lariat took the deck and went back to the tables. Lariat was backed in a corner. He had no choice.
I went into town to see how things were going. Micah told me the house wasn't doing too good. It looked like the house was on the level. I had to see this for myself. Morody felt the hand he had would break the house. Lariat looked up and saw me standing there. I asked him how things were going. He said, "Like a witches brew." That was the signal. That made me size the situation. "You right Morody, you just put us out of business." Wymerman's partner looked at what Lariat had, a full house. Morody didn't know what was going on because Lariat had him beat. I grabbed Wymerman's partner before he could draw. Wymerman went to shoot. I tossed Lariat a gun and he shot Wymerman.
Lariat was getting ready to leave town. I tried to talk him into staying. He wasn't interested. He bet me he could make Bannock before sunset. I bet him he could.
Mark called me over. He had a card trick he wanted to show me. "Pick a card, any card," he said. He guessed the ten of hearts. It was the eight of clubs. He thought he had done everything right. I asked him how l
ong he had been practicing that trick. He told me about a week. I asked him how long did he think Lariat practiced until he got it down pat. "I can tell you, a lot more then a week. It takes a loft of studying and a lot of practice to learn even a card trick right. Just like it does to, well, brake a horse or even handle a plow smooth. So I think you better put your time into something worthwhile like studying your schoolbooks, especially your arithmetic's." "I guess your right," said Mark. I bet that pulling a card out of the air took him a lot of time." "Your right. You can bet when I was your age I didn't spend a lot of time reaching for a card like that." Suddenly a card appeared. You should have seen the look on his face. He grabbed my hand and said, "Pa, will you show me?" "First you do those lessons. You get every problem right, I'll show you." "Yes sir!" He grabbed his book and started on his homework.
piddlin' stuff.....Richard Anderson has appeared in 6 episodes of 'The Rifleman' . 'One Went to Denver' as Tom Birch. [The Rife in which Lucas threw at Tom Birch at the end of the episode was a 'rubber rifle.' Chuck took it home and left his kids play with it] - 'Lariat' as Lariat Jones [He was a close friend
of Lucas' and was once in love with Margaret] - 'Miss Bertie' as Duke Jennings [He was a gunslinger with a bounty on his head. Also Lucas takes the rifle and threatens to hit him with it like a club] - 'Flowers by the Door' as Jason Gowdy [He was a door-to-door book salesman who assaults and kills woman] - 'The Bullet' as Griff [He was a crooked gambler and the murderer] - 'Millie's Brother' as Harry Chase - [one of my favorites] "Just who is the better man, Harry Chase?" "We all know the answer to that one, don't we?" He also was on "Hardcastle & McCormick" [love that Hardcastle and McCormick!!!!!] ~ but the most remember able part I would have to say was Oscar Goldman on the "Six Million Man" and "The Bionic Woman"
George Macready who played the Judge in 'Eight hours to die' was usually cast as a Villain. I applaud you for your role as Judge Zephaniah Burton - excellent choice! He also appeared in another episode of "The Rifleman" - 'Lariat' - as Matt Wymerman
Steve Conte played Doyle Black. He was Wymerman's partner. Steve Conte was in Gagliato, Italy. He came to the United States with his parents and siblings in 1926. He had done a lot of th 50's shows and westerns.
Dayton Lummis as Colonel Craig. He was the cheater in the beginning of this episode. He appeared in another episode of "The Rifleman," 'Lariat' as Jake Shaw, Hanna's father.
He appeared with Chuck, before "The Rifleman" in an "Four Star Playhouse" ~ 'Vote Of Confidence' which also appeared Amanda Blake "Gunsmoke's" Miss Kitty.
He was a regular on Law of the Plainsman as Marshal Andy Morrison in.
He has appeared in many a TV series and movies.James Flavin played Morody the cowpoke at the end of the story who broke the bank. Although he graduated from West Point, James Flavin decided on an acting career instead of the military. Flavin appeared in hundreds of films during his career and was often cast as a big-city homicide detective, street cop, prison guard or Marine sergeant. He appeared in things such as "Yankee Doodle Dandy" ~ "Cheyenne Autumn" and a regular on the TV series "The Roaring 20's". He was on "The Untouchables" several time. He also appeared with Chuck Connors before "The Rifleman" in "Trouble Along the Way" as a football coach.
How many cowboy's other then Lucas also cared for Margaret?
There was Reef Jackson—episode #162 'End of the Hunt', Tom Birch—episode #25 'One Went to Denver' and Lariat Jones—episode #67 'Lariat' Thanks Linda C.*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with
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