He told Micah that the Marshal at Bensenville told him he would send his reward money here. Now the Sherman boys are after him for revenge. He told Micah he had given information that led to the capture of Jeb Sherman and then asked Micah to witness his will. He wanted 
the reward money and everything he owned to go to his grandson, Mark McCain.
Mark and I were in the barn gathering eggs to take into Lou for her restaurant. "Pa.....I can't help wondering about that man that came here this morning. I hardly saw him.....but I saw you and I saw the way you looked after you talked to him." "How did I look?" I asked Mark. "Well.....you looked like you hated him." He told me he didn't think he ever saw me look that way before. I told him that hate is a terrible thing and I didn't want him to feel that way about anybody if I can help it. I told him the man he saw this morning was probably on his way to Mexico by now and the chances were we would never see him again. "Mark.....I'd like to leave it at that." "Alright Pa." We hitched up the buckboard and started off to town to deliver the eggs to Lou.
When we got to Lou's there was nobody at the desk. So I rang the bell. Lou was just on her way down from upstairs. "Well it's about time the rest of the McCain Clan made their way to town," said Lou. "The rest of the McCain Clan?" I asked. Lou was sorry saying anything; she thought maybe it might be a surprise. Mark asked her who she was talking about." She then showed Mark the register with Samuel Gibbs name. "Well.....who is it?" Asked Mark. "Well it's your grandpa, Mark!" Mark looked at me. I told Mark I was sorry he had to find out this way. Mark asked if that was the man who came to the ranch this morning. I told him it was. I excused us and took Mark outside to talk to him.
"Why didn't you tell me who he was before Pa?" "Because I'd also have to tell ya' what he did and I'd hoped I'd never have to do that." "Pa.....I'm not a little kid anymore. I've got the right to know what's real so I.....well so I can make up my own mind about thing," said Mark. "Alright Mark." "What was real the night your mother was dying and the doctor said that the only medicine that might help her was in Oklahoma City, ninety miles away." "Your grandpa came by that night.....tried to borrow some money. I didn't have to ask him what for, I could see he was still sober." "I told him to stay with your mother that I was riding to Oklahoma City." "She begged me not to go son. 'She said.....send Pa'." "She begged me Mark." "I gave him the money for the medicine and helped him saddle up." "He never came back. That was the last time I saw him until today." "Rather than ride for medicine, he stopped
off to get drunk." "After I buried your mother.....I only had one thought Mark.....to find Gibbs and to kill him!" I told him that after sometime I realized making a home for him was more important then tracking down a man and killing
him for revenge. "Then he killed Ma?" Asked Mark. "No Mark he didn't kill her, but he might have saved her." "But that's the same thing as killing her.....isn't it?"
Mark and I started to head for the buckboard; we were going to go back to the ranch when Lou called to us. She asked if we weren't going to see Gibbs. We both told her we weren't. She was surprised. She told us about him coming all this way and risking his life just to see Mark. "Lou.....this is something that doesn't concern you." She said it was her concern if he got killed and Micah too if we left town. I asked her what Micah had to do with this. She told me....."His job!" She then went to the hotel. Nils called to me before we could leave. He said Micah had just sent him out to the ranch to get me. I then went to see Micah.
He was glad to see me and told me to pick myself out a badge. I asked him what this had to do with me. He told me about the Sherman boys and about them getting to North Fork around midnight. I told him that was Gibbs problem. I told Micah to tell him the same thing I told him....."Keep movin'!" I told Nils if he was doin' this for me to forget it, that Gibbs wasn't worth it. Nils had second thoughts. Micah told him to put the badge down. I wasn't helping matters any, I not only put Gibbs in danger, but also Micah.
Micah told me he was sure I had reason for feeling the way I did, but this town still needed to operate on the basis of law and order. I told him to send Gibbs away. Micah said he couldn't, he already gave him his word. "You don't know what he did Micah," said Mark. I told Mark to wait outside. Mark wanted me to tell Micah and make him understand. Again I told Mark to wait outside. Micah was surprised to see the hatred Mark had in him for another human being. I told him maybe because Gibbs deserved it. 
"The only Gibbs I know is an old man willing to die to see his grandson," said Micah. Was I so filled with hatred that I didn't see this in my son, just in myself?
While Micah and I were talking, Mark went to confront Gibbs and ask him to leave
town. Gibbs knew Mark when he saw him. He asked Mark if he knew who he was. "You're the man who killed my Ma!" Gibbs asked Mark if that was what I had told him. Mark told him I wouldn't lie. Mark was surprised when Gibbs admitted it. "That's what I came here for son. To admit it and to ask you to forgive me." "I don't know if I killed Margaret exactly.....but I'm admittin' I'm to blame same as if I did kill her." "Never admitted that to your Pa." Gibbs told Mark what happened when his mother died. It was eleven years ago.....it was a cold rainy night.....he rode as far as he could, but needed to get a drink so he could go on. One thing lead to another and by the time he got back, Margaret was dead and buried and Lucas and Mark were gone. He told Mark he never really admitted it to himself before, and that he just kept running from the truth. He told Mark how he sat in our empty farm house.....looking out on Margaret's grave and waited for me to come. He wanted me to kill him. He told Mark he could leave now, that it wasn't easy for a man to ask forgiveness a second time. "Mr. Gibbs.....I came here to ask you to leave town, before someone gets hurt." "You want me to keep running?" Asked Gibbs. "I.....I want you to leave town!" He told Mark he would leave, that it would be easier to run from gunmen then it would be himself. He told Mark he would be gone within an hour and asked Mark to tell Micah. Mark turned to leave and as he got to the door, Gibbs said....."I took pleasure in seeing you boy." Mark turned and looked at Gibbs as Gibbs wished Mark good luck.
Mark came to Micah's and told us that he had asked Gibbs to leave and that he promised Mark he would. Mark wanted to go home. Micah told us to go on, looks like it was going to be a quiet night after all. As we got in the buck board to head home Mark told me that Gibbs had asked him for forgiveness, but he couldn't forgive him because he didn't think I would want him to. As we were setting there talking three men rode in. I couldn't help but wonder if they were the Sherman's, but decided just to head home.
Micah was putting away deputy badges when the Sherman's entered
his office with their guns drawn. They stared pushing Micah around. They wanted to know where Gibbs was. Just then Lou walked in on them. They held Micah and Lou hostage. Jeb asked Micah where Gibbs was. They had brought a large hour glass with them. Jeb told Micah that his mother gave them the timing glass and to always give a man time to think about what he is dying for, he may decide it ain't worth it. Micah has until the sand runs out to decide if Sam Gibbs is worth dying for. Micah regards this with contempt and shoves the hourglass onto the ground where is smashes. This made Jeb angry, he hits Micah across the face knocking him to the floor. Bob and Littleboy Sherman was getting ready to shoot Micah when Lou pleaded with them not to. She couldn't let them shoot Micah so she told them where Gibbs was. Jeb and Bob went to the hotel and let Littleboy with Lou and Micah.
We didn't get too far out of town when I had a change of heart and decided to go back into town to see if Micah might need some help. I left Mark setting in the buckboard and told him to wait there for me. I told Mark that Gibbs was my problem, not his or Micah's.
I got there just when Jeb and Bob were getting ready to enter the hotel. "Hold it!" I said. "What's the matter cowboy? Can't a man go into the hotel without somebody throwing a rifle at 'em?" Asked Jeb. "That depends!" I then called to Micah. No answer. I called again an again. What I didn't know was that Littleboy had his gun pointed straight at my back and was getting ready to kill me. Lou saw Micah's gun belt hanging on the hook in the office. She slowly approached the gun and shot Littleboy with it. Just then Bob shot at me and Jeb started to shoot at me, with me killing both of them. I then rushed into Micah's office. There stood Lou with Micah's gun in her hand, she was pale and shaken, I know how she must have felt. Had it not been for Lou, I would have been killed. Micah then came to. He asked me if they got Gibbs. I told him no and that Gibbs could stop running now.
We waited for Micah to go to see Doc Burrage. The Doc said Micah would be alright so I decided Mark and I should be heading home.....it has been a long day. Just as we were getting ready to leave Gibbs was also getting ready to leave like he had promised Mark. "Let's go son" I said. "Just a moment Pa," said Mark. Gibbs walked up to us. He told Micah he was going back to Bensenville, that he had a little piece of land there. He thank Micah. Micah told him not to thank him, but to thank me, his son-in-law. "Forget it Micah.....he doesn't owe me a thing. What I did.....I did for you and Mark." Gibbs said he knew that but wanted to thank me anyways. He said he hoped someday I would be able to stop hating him. "Now look Sam.....I don't hate you! I just can't find it in me to forgive you!"
"Well.....the book says.....not hatin' is the first step of forgiveness." "I'll settle for that," said Gibbs. He then looked at Mark and said good-bye. "Good-bye," said Mark. As Gibbs walked away I could tell Mark wanted to tell Gibbs that he forgave him. I asked him. "I do forgive him Pa." "Well then I think you ought to tell him." I couldn't let both of them go on like this, even tho I knew I could not forgive him, I couldn't let Mark carry that if he felt different then I. Mark looked at me and then called to Gibbs. "Mr. Gibbs.....Grandpa....." Mark walked over to him. They stood there and looked at each other. Gibbs puts his hand on Mark's shoulder. He knew that Mark had forgiven him without either one saying a word.
piddlin' stuff.....John Anderson played Samuel E. Gibbs Now here is a familiar face. How many times did he play on the show? 'The Re
tired Gun' ~ 'Shivaree' ~ 'The Hawk' ~ 'The Patsy' ~ 'Day of the Hunter' ~ 'Mail Order Groom' ~ 'Shotgun Man' ~ 'Face of Yesterday' ~ 'Incident at Line Shack Six' ~ 'The Journey Back'
He also played with Chuck in "Geronimo."
We saw him so much that you would have thought of him as part of the family. Come to think of it, he was part of the family. Do you remember which episode that was?
He bore a strong resemblance to President Abraham Lincoln and portrayed him twice. Uncredited as the voice of the animatronics Mark Twain in the American Experience at Walt Disney World's Epcot (World Showcase) in Orlando, Florida.
Adam Williams appeared in six episodes of "The Rifleman" ― 'The Challenge' as Jake Pardee, the leader of the gang and the one who thought he had to prove himself ― 'The Prisoner' as Corporal Troc a ex-Confederate officer who seeks revenge on Lucas - he was the aide to Major Aaron King ― 'The Score is Even' as Jax, he was the one in charge and the one who told Andy to kill the McCain's ― 'The Executioner' [which he wrote] as Russell Ganaway, he was a former friend of Lucas's, just released from jail and the one who hid the stolen money on the McCain Ranch ― 'The Anvil Chorus' as Platt and Jeb Sherman in 'The Old Man Running.'
Before "The Rifleman" he appeared with Chuck in the movie "Dragonfly Squadron."
Rex Holman as Bob Sherman. He was the tall thin brother. He also played in another episode of "The Rifleman." 'Death Never Rides Alone' as Billie Graves.
He has appeared with Chuck in "Cowboy in Africa." I know you have seen this Cowboy many of times. You name it.....he's done it! From "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" to TV classic westerns and detective stories.
Years ago I use to get this cowboy mixed up with L.Q. Jones, dunno why????? What say you?
Arthur Batanides as Littleboy Sherman. He was the brother that Lou shot.
Batanides has made numerous television appearances on "Star Trek: The Original Series"—"Happy Days"—"The Odd Couple"—"The Wild Wild West"—"Mission: Impossible." He also appeared in "The Ten Commandments"—"Spartacus"—"Violent Road"—"The Maltese Bippy"— "Brannigan"—"The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case" and was also in several of the "Police Academy" movies.
Joe Higgins as Nils the Blacksmith.
How many actors played Nils or was it Niles or Nels? Was it Swenson or was it Svenson? There were six different actors who played Nils or Niles or Nels. Here is a list of all of them - who played them and any conflicts in the episodes - to who's who?????
*This episode is also the same as 'The Wanted Man.' (aka 'Old Man Running')
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with 
Which Way Did They Go?
The Guest
When I saw who it was I went and grabbed my rifle and told Mark to go inside. "What's wrong?" Asked Mark. "You heard me son, get inside and close the door." Mark was puzzled but did as he was told. It was Samuel Gibbs, Mark's grandfather, Margaret's father. He started to get off his horse. "Don't bother getting off!" I said. "I need help Luke," said Gibbs. "You came to the wrong place." "Maybe so.....but ah.....I got no place left to go Luke." "There are three men on my trail.....the Sherman brothers. They're gonna kill me for sure if somebody don't help me." He had his nerve coming to me for help. Just seeing him made me furious and now him asking me for help. I walked up to him and angrily told him....."You were always good at running away from things.....keep running!" He asked if Mark was here. "I swore a long time ago the next time I saw you I'd kill you!" "Now don't press your luck!" "Maybe that's what you oughta do then," said Gibbs. "I came here asking you for help Luke. I guess I got no right to do that, I won't do it again." "I do think I've got a right to see the boy." "You've got a right to ride off my property without being killed, and you've got that right because I'm giving it to ya'! Now git goin' before I change my mind!" I started for the house. He just sat there. I turned and asked him....."Didn't you hear me?" He just sat there. I then shot into the air. He quickly rode off. Mark came running out of the house. He looked up at me and asked me who he was. I told him it was someone who had no right being here. I didn't tell Mark who this man was or what he wanted, I went into the house.