We had this new guy in town that North Fork welcomed with open arms. His name was Dave Stafford. Everybody in town just thought Dave was the 
greatest, he even had me fooled. Little did we know he was a fast talking con man that was hired by Samuel Britton. Sam Britton, was the big king pin in Center City. He hired Sam to make sure that the new railroad spur went to Center City instead of North Fork. The railroad guys would decide which town would get the spur. There were two men competing to represent North Fork at the big railroad conference in Yuma, Dave Stafford and myself, Lucas McCain.
After breakfast Mark and I had gone out unto the porch to greet a new spring day. Mark held his finger to the wind and said it was coming due east. I told Mark he had a good wind finger. I asked my son....."What does due east mean?" "Spring rains coming on," said Mark with some uncertainty. I told him he was right, this meant there was a new storm brewing and it was coming our way. "You sure know a lot about a lot of things," said Mark with a big smile on his face. "You will too son when you get to be an old man like me." Mark laughed.
While Mark and I were standing on the porch we saw Dave Stafford riding in. I was expecting him. I asked him if he found himself a ranch yet. He said not yet, that buying a spread was a pretty important decision to make. I invited in for a cup of coffee. I told Dave that the people around here don't usually warm up to strangers, but they sure have takin' a likin' to him. "I like people.....people like me.....it's ah.....sorta catchin', I guess," said Dave. Dave talked about the faith he had in North Fork and about the railroad spur and how it would help boom our cattle shipments. I told him I wished I could be as sure as he was about it coming to North Fork. Mark had a lot of confidence in me, he was sure I would be able to convince the railroad committee in Yuma that we should have the spur instead of Center City. I told him that the council won't decide that until tomorrow and that I felt Dave was their best choice. He already had an edge on me, he already knew all those railroad people. Dave was trying to be modest. He said they if they did send him he would like the benefit of my thoughts on this. "We all want what's best for North Fork," stated Dave. "You bet Mr. 
Stafford.....the best for North Fork and the worst for Center City," exclaimed Mark. We all had a good laugh at Mark's remark.
The next day we went to the town council meeting to see who they would appoint to represent North Fork. John Hamilton, our bank President made the announcement. "After due consideration.....we decided that our interest could be best served by a man who has already got his stake planted here in North Fork.....Lucas McCain!" Mark was excited, he had a grin on his face from ear to ear......"You're going to Yuma Pa!" The town folks all started to laugh. The meeting was adjourned and John came to congratulate me. He stopped Dave as he was leaving and told him that he was their second choice and they had weighed his previously dealings with the railroad people, but was sorry they hadn't know him longer. Dave said that he did understand. I also told Dave I was sorry. We shook hands and Dave said that I had nothing to be sorry about, that I should be glad that the town had so much faith in me. Just then Toomey came up to me and said, "We're all with you Lucas," and handed me the surveys that I would need when I presented our case in Yuma and told me to take good care of them. I sat down on the bench and started to glance through the surveys. "Pa.....when we get that railroad spur here in North Fork.....that'll mean you'll ship your cattle by train won't it?" I told him it would and asked him why he asked. "Then I can go with ya! I haven't been on a train since I was a kid." I reminded him that we didn't have the spur yet and that I would have to do an awful lot of selling to bring it here and if I do it will take a long time to build. Just then Micah approached me and asked how about some coffee to celebrate and some sassaparilla for Mark. "Oh boy!" exclaimed Mark as he started towards the door.
Dave, Toomey and a few other men folk were over at the hotel having a friendly card game. It looked like this wasn't Dave's day all the way around, or was it? A man with a derby hat and a bag came into the hotel and went into the dining room. He was looking for Micah. He told Micah he was a lawyer and his name was Marcus Trimble, he had just got off the stage from Santa Fe. Micah introduced him to John Hamilton and asked what they could do for him. He told them he was sitting in the hotel in Santa Fe when a Wade Joyner, the train robber,
was shot. He said that Joyner paid him to take his last will and testament. Joyner had left $500 to someone here in North Fork and Trimble was to make sure it got delivered to the rightful heir. John and Micah were surprised to learn the name of the heir....."Lucas McCain!" He assured Micah and John that it was bona fide through and through. The waiter, was pouring Micah's and John's coffee at the time and overheard every word that was said. While Micah and John checked over the document, the waiter went out to spread the news to the card players in the other room. This was the break that Dave had hoped for. Wade Joyner had held up a lot of trains in his time. Right away he mentioned that he hoped this news didn't get back to Yuma. Toomey and the other men felt it might hurt North Fork getting the rail spur if I would represent North Fork in Yuma. Toomey left to talk to Micah and John. It looked like Dave's luck was changing. I insisted I didn't know Wade Joyner. No matter how much I thought about it, I just didn't remember ever meeting him. Mark kept insisting I knew Joyner, or otherwise he wouldn't have left me the money. He reminded me how I'm always saying how scarce money is around our place. "Mark, money is nothing but paper and green ink. What gives it value is how it's earned. An outlaw's money is never earned." I reminded Mark it wasn't the kind we wanted. Mark went to get Micah and I went to the bank, I wanted to see just what was going on here.
We all met at the bank. Trimble gave me the papers for my inheritance and told me it was all legal. I told Trimble I didn't know any Wade Joyner. He said he hadn't either, he just happened to be unlucky to be there when he died. I told him it could be a mistake, maybe another Lucas McCain. He then looked at my son and said....."Is your name Mark?" "It's all there Mr. McCain.....Joyner mentioned you had a boy, Mark. There's no mistake!" He said he would see that the money was sent to me and 
then he headed on his way.
The town folks weren't sure they wanted me to represent them in Yuma. Toomey said that everyone believed me, but it's the eastern railroad men that didn't know me, that's what they were concerned about. Toomey said that he talked to Micah and Micah discussed it with John and Toomey took a vote from some of the others and they felt they should send someone else to Yuma. Now all of a sudden a man I don't know leaves me money I don't want, everyone thinks I'm a different person. Dave spoke for the town folks, and got me to understand how they felt. I could see that everyone had already made up their minds and no matter what I said, made no difference. Now Dave was the one to go in my place. His luck was sure getting better and better.
Mark's wind finger and my prediction sure was right on the money. We had to stay in town that night because the storm had washed out the trail to our place. I had just put Mark to bed when Dave came over to talk to me. He said that faith has a way of stepping in and changing things, but it shouldn't change friendship. "I didn't ask to go to Yuma, but I can hardly back out now," said Dave. He had hope that North Fork would have been 100% behind him in this and that I was an important part of North Fork. I told him he had my support. I told him he could pick up the survey maps at the ranch anytime. It was raining hard and thundering and lighting. We talked about the rain, and I remembered when I had lived in Desert Flats, we would wait three years for a rain like this. I remembered once after Margaret died, the biggest rain you ever saw. Mark had a cold, it wasn't much, but it was the first time I was alone with my boy sick. There was this man who came along, half drowned and needed a nights rest. I told Dave about how I bent that man's ear while we set up with Mark. I told that stranger almost everything about us. About the ranch I wanted and about settling in these parts.....my hopes for the boy and how a good part of a man's dreams depends on good hard cash. "Hard cash!" I remembered how he said he never had any dreams of his own beyond tomorrow and how he liked to listen to mine. He said....."Someday I'd get the cash!" Wade Joyner meant what he said.
The next day Dave came out to the ranch to pick up the survey maps. He told me about his run in he had with Sam Britton, Center City's representative for the railroad spur. He told me that he had his hook out for me and was waiting to get at me, he mentioned that he knew all about my inheritance. Dave felt that Britton wouldn't have spared any details when he reached Yuma and 
talked with the railroad people. Dave said I would have been fighting two battles in Yuma. I told Dave I was glad that he was going.
While Lucas and Dave confer at the ranch, Mark rode in with the mail. He wanted to deliver it personally because it contained Wade Joyner's $500 and he wanted to see what all that cash looked like. I asked Mark what he was doing home, it was around noon and he should been in school. He told me he stopped by Hattie's at lunch time and picked up the mail. Mark was sure it was the money. I mentioned the fact that he was playing hooky. Mark just wanted one quick look at the money and then he would head back to school. I showed him the money and sent him on his way. Along with the cash was a note confirming that Wade Joyner and I had only met once. Dave decided he had to stop me from showing this note around North Fork. I went into the house and read the note to Dave. I couldn't wait to tell Micah, Hamilton and the rest of the council. I told Dave I was going into town now and he could ride along. Dave asked me who really was the better man to go to Yuma. I wondered why he seemed so indifferent about this. I couldn't help but feel it wasn't North Fork that his best interest was for. I told him....."Let's let North Fork decide that." I got my hat and rifle and slowly went out onto the porch. I felt if Dave was going to do something, he would have to act now. As he started to draw on me, I warned him not to do it. I told him I had enough fire power in my hand to cut him in half. I demonstrated my ability by shooting out the back of the porch chair. Dave told me there was not enough money in this scheme for him to get his head blown off.
It was back when I lived in Desert Flats. I was alone with Mark for the first time and Mark had a cold. I sat up all night and talked with a stranger about my dreams.
I took the letter to town for everyone to read: We only met that one night in a storm, but I never meant anyone before or since that made more sense. Here's some cash for your dream. Wade Joyner
Boy was Mr. Britton surprised when he saw I was the one on the stage and not Dave. I poked my head out of the stagecoach window just as Mr. Britton was getting ready to enter. "McCain's the name.....Step right in Mr. Britton!" "Are you going to Yuma Mr. McCain?" Asked Britton. "That's just where I'm going Mr. Britton." John Hamilton told him that Dave couldn't make it that he had a previous engagement. Mr. Britton assured John and Micah that Dave's activities were of no interest to him.
Just them Mark ran up to the stagecoach to say his goodbyes and to wish me luck. I told Mark to be sure and do what Micah tells him. As the stage drove off, I assured Micah and John I would do just fine in Yuma.
piddlin stuff.....William Bishop played Dave Stafford. He's the guy who was to representative North Fork at the railroad commission. He appeared in his own series back in 1954 as Steve Connors in "It's a Great Life." He died of cancer in October of 1959. This episode was shot in June of 1959. Who would have ever have known, he looked so good in "The Rifleman." 
Dabbs Greer is one of your most well known character actors. He has been in the business for over five decades. He has appeared in "The Rifleman" eight times. 'The Stand-In' as Taylor, one of the prison guards - 'The Wyoming Story' (1&2) as Finny - 'The Promoter' as Jack Scully - 'The Jailbird' Farley Steel - 'Panic' as Brett - 'Boomerang' as Sam Elder - 'Outlaw's Inheritance' as Marcus Trimble. I think out of all of them I liked him best in 'The Wyoming Story.'
He had many recurring appearances - "Perry Mason" - "Gunsmoke" as Mr. Jonas the storekeeper - "Picket Fences" as Reverend Henry Novotny - "Little House on the Prairie" as Reverend Alden - "Untouchables." I especially like him in "The Green Mile." He is remembered for being in those oldie but goodie 1950's sci-fi movies like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" - "It ! The Terror from Beyond Space" - "The Giant Claw" and "The Vampire". I tip my cowgirl hat to you for a job well done!
Bartlett Robinson played Samuel Britton in this episode. Bartlett was in a lot of things. He was in "Mr. Lucky." Gee whiz, I had forgotten all about that show. He was in "I Want to Live" as the District Attorney. Remember that one with Susan Hayward? He was in everything from comedy to westerns to detectives stores. Again another guest star on "The Untouchables."
Robert Foulk played Toomey in several episodes of "The Rifleman." Remember him in 'The Raid?' He was the one who turned back - he didn't go on to help Lucas find Mark when he was kidnapped by Indians. Bummer! But Lucas understood! He was in 'The Second Witness,' 'Three Legged Terror', 'Outlaw's Inheritance' & he played Herbert Newman is the episode - 'The Lost Treasure of Canyon Town.' He also played Roy Trendell in "Green Acres."
Do you know what Toomey's first name was?
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with 
Trivia—'Outlaw's Inheritance'
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around the McCain Ranch
updated 10/7/07