I had sold some of my cattle to Mr. Harris. Mark and I were supposed to meet him at the North Fork Cattle Buyer's Association to collect the money. I had gotten $250 for the cattle. "Mr. Harris only wanted to pay you 
seven dollars and fifty cents for each head of those cattle Pa." "You charged him ten dollars," said Mark. "Well Harris drives a hard bargain son, so I just had to out trade him." "Yes but trading is like trading one thing for another, isn't it?" "Money count makes it different?" Asked Mark. I agreed. I told him money was just a convenient way of keeping score. "You don't have to feed it.....it can't break a leg.....and it can't get sick and it fits in your pocket." While we were standing there talking I heard a familiar voice. I looked up and there was Speed Sullivan and his son Swifty. I was surprised to see him back in North Fork. He was still selling his lightning rods and his panacea. Mark and I went over to get a closer look. Speed was glad to see us. I asked him if he was still selling those lightning rods that never got delivered. He said he remembered how I could have gypped him out of $500 but didn't. So now he was dealing honestly and sale are bigger and better then ever. He asked Mark if he wanted to earn a quarter an hour taking orders. He was all for that. Speed invited me to lunch. I told him I'd meet him at the hotel just as soon as I stopped by to see Micah.
While Speed was waiting for me at the hotel, two men came in. The taller, younger man, Thess, asked him if he was Speed Sullivan. “That’s right…..lightning king of the west!” Speed answered. 
The old man, King Croxton held in his hand a lightning rod and asked Speed if he knew what it was. He then asked him if he knew where it cam from. Speed told him it was one of his samples. He had left it…..he suddenly remembered while making a stop on his way into town, there had been a girl who was hurt. “Say how is that poor girl?” Speed asked. Thess just laughed. Speed told them if they wanted to place an order, his assistant’s were up the street. The old man told him the only order he was going to get was to get up off the chair and walk out of there quietly. “Anybody who hits a Croxton gets hung…..especially a Croxton woman,” said the old man. He agreed and told them to go get him. They felt they had their man. He tried to tell them that someone had already hit the girl before he got there. Vashti had told them that Speed was the one who hit her. Thess grabbed Speed and told him if he wanted to assault somebody, he should assault a man. Speed insisted he didn’t lay a hand on her. “Shoo-in’s too good for him Thess.” “Yeah…..hangin’ don’t take too long either.” “Think he otta get bent?” Thess asked. “Yeah…..bend him Thess…..bend him. Make him hurt a little.” They both laughed. “You and me’s a gonna fight,” said Thess. “I am not without the knowledge of fisticuffs sir,” said Speed. Speed took off his jacket and he put up his dukes. I walked into the hotel as Thess grabbed Speed and was getting ready to hit him. I grabbed Thess. We fought until I got the better of Thess. I grabbed him and asked him what this was all about. “McCain…..this here fellow assaulted my daughter,” sa
id King. “What?” Boy was I surprised when I heard that. Speed pushed by Old man King and said “That isn’t true,” said Speed. I told them we better let the marshal handle this.
We went to see Micah. King and Thess went to get Vashti. “Well Miss Croxton…..is this the man?” Micah asked. “Yes it is!” “He came to the house and tried to sell me a lightein’ rod and when I wouldn’t have any of it…..he hit me!” “She’s tellin’ the truth…..up to the last three words,” said Speed. I asked Miss Vashti to have a seat. I had some questions I wanted to ask her. “Tell me Vashti; was there a struggle when this man assaulted you?” “You bet there was…..ain’t nobody belts her without a struggle,” said Thess. “There was some wrastlin’,” said Vashti. “With Speed?” I asked. She nodded. “Tell me something…..what kind of hair does he have…..is it brown…..black…..straight…..wavy?” “In a real struggle…..he must have lost his hat.” She looked at Speed. “Um…..well it was…..black and straight and with grey.” Micah walked over to Speed and motioned for him to take his hat off. “He must have worn a wig!” Vashti was surprised to see Speed was bald. “Madam…..baldness is a sign of masculinity…..I wear it proudly,” said Speed. “Did he hit you with his fist?” “Well sure!” said Vashti. “You know a knuckle wouldn’t have made that kind of a cut you have on your face…..guess he must have worn a ring, huh?” “That’s what it was…..a ring.” Speed wasn’t wearing a ring. “Miss Vashti, did you yell at any time during the assault?” “Well sure I did!” “But not enough to wake up this man’s son who was sleeping in the wagon not fifty feet away, huh?” “Alright!” “I cut my own face…..tore my dress and I burned the money!” “Now is that what you want me to say?” I wasn’t calling her a liar. Things just didn’t add up. The Croxton’s wanted 
justice, even if they had to do it themselves. The Croxton’s went home. I told Micah it didn’t look like he had much of a case. He felt she was lying too. “You know Micah…..people lie for certain basic reason.” “Like sparing feelings…..saving face…..personal gain…..protecting somebody.” “Maybe she’s protecting someone…..like a boyfriend.” Micah said he saw her once in town when she came to a barn dance how she waltzed about three rounds with a fella and King and Thess came roaring in and dragged her out!” “It seems they don’t take to her gaddin’ about,” said Micah. He remembered the man was one of Gephardt’s wranglers…..the one with the scar out on his face. That would be Cade Conway. Now we had a name we could use. I had an idea.
Micah, Speed and I headed out to the Croxton’s ranch. I started to put my plan into work. “Thess…..when was the last time you told a lie?” He didn’t wanna answer but Micah insisted. “Well…..about a week ago…..I left the gate open and the cow got out, and I told Daddy I didn’t.” “I thought he’d get mad.” “But he found out anyway,” said Thess. “You lied to avoid punishment.” I said. “Mr. Croxton…..when’s the last time you told a lie?” “What do you wanna know for?” he asked. “People have good reasons for lying…..I have a good reason for this.” “Well maybe I told the kids I was on business while I was doin’ a little drinkin’.” “Hmmmmm…..well you lied to preserve status and spare feeling.” “Speed…..when’s the last time you told a lie?” “I…..I…..I never told…..a couple of months ago.” “There was this shipment of lightning rods…..lost is what they were…..” “That figures…..Speed lied for personal gain.” King wanted to know when the last 
time I told a lie was. That was fair enough. “Let’s see know…..I told Mrs. Carpenter she had a nice hat…..but it was really pretty bad.” “I lied to spare her feelings.” “We all have our reasons for lying.” “Don’t we Vashti?” “What do you mean?” She asked. I asked her when the last time she told a lie was. “Now I told you the truth!” “It was that man right there!” “Well we gathered all the fundamental reason’s for lying…..all except one.” “Lying to protect…..maybe your protecting some one?” “Is it Cade Conway?” “Just what do you mean?” Yelled Vashti. “Has that wrangler been hangin’ around here again?” Asked Thess. “I otta put the whip to you,” said her Pa. She grabbed the whip and shook it at him and yelled…..“Well your gonna have to come and get it first!” “It was Conway…..wasn’t it?” I asked. “It was that man…..right there!” She meant Speed. I reached for the whip. She gave it to me and went to the kitchen. I went after her. “Vashti…..I’m just trying to be your friend.” “I know it hasn’t been easy for ya’.” “You just bet it hasn’t been easy!” “My Ma died when I was six years old and I had the worst part of being a wife.” “Pa and Thess…..they won’t marry…..why should they?” “They get their meals made…..their clothes washed and sewed…..and Saturday night they go out chasin’ women and lock me up!” “Some women get what they want by just kissin’ a man.” “With those two around I gotta use a tree branch or an axe handle!” “You spent most of your life just doin’ for your family.” “Well…..from now on I’m doin’ for myself!” I asked her what kind of love she has for that man knowing that she was responsible for Speed being in jail. “You just wouldn’t be happy unless you told the truth.” “Would you?” She said “no” and went out into the living room. She looked at the both of them and said…..”Well…..it was Cade.” “Alright…..he may not be much…..but he’s the only man that didn’t tell me words with edges and corners on ‘em!” She then went over to Speed and said…..”Mr. I’m awful sorry for all the trouble I caused you!” “Now I even told them that you went the opposite way but they tracked your wagon.” She then walked over to her Pa and her brother and said…..”Well I know where Cade is and I’m going after him.” 
“He belted you and stole your money,” said her Pa. “He can’t hit near as hard as you can!” “He caught me off balance!” “Well I can lick Cade Conway any day of the week and I’m gonna marry him!” “And he didn’t steal that money cause half of it was his!” “And if you come lookin’ for him…..the first piece of lead will be comin’ from me!” She then left to go to Cade.
He was impressed how I handled Vashti. He thought I was smooth. He wanted me to go into partnership with him. He wanted to go big time…..insurance…..stocks and bonds. I told him we’d have a deal if he could answer one question…..”Where was the man when he jumped off the bridge?” “What man…..what bridge?” he asked. “Any man…..any bridge.” “He’s on the railing…..of course,” he answered. “That was before he jumped,” said Micah. “Oh…..un…..he was in the air!” “That was after he jumped,” I said. He just kept guessing. He took a drink of his panacea. He needed it after that one.
piddlin' stuff.....Linda Lawson as Vashti Croxton.
Linda has appeared in many a shows such as "Ben Casey" ~ "Peter Gunn" ~ "Wagon Train" ~ "Overland Trail" ~ "Bonanza" & "It Takes a Thief." Her latest appearances were "Without a Trace" (2002) & "That's Life" (2000 & 2001)
She was the typical exotic and sexy beauty from Hollywood. She started as a singer (recorded many albums), then married the director and producer John Foreman (Films with Paul Newman, of which Butch Cassidy and the Kid),
Bob Sweeney played Speed Sullivan. He was the father of Swifty and the shady traveling salesman. He also played in another episode
of "The Rifleman" ~ 'The Pitchman' as Speed Sullivan. He's the guy that Vashti Croxton accused him of assaulting her when it was really her boyfriend. Swifty and Speed are father & son in both episodes. Although Bob Sweeney was mostly know for his acting, he was also a producer for "The Baileys of Balboa" - TV series ~ a supervising producer for "Hawaii Five-O" - seasons 4-7 ~ an executive producer for "Dead Man on the Run" ~ "The Andros Targets" ~ "Ethel is an Elephant."
Danny Richards Jr. played Swifty Sullivan, Speed's son. He also played in another episode of "The Rifleman" ~ 'The Pitchman' as Swifty Sullivan. Swifty and Speed are father & son in both episodes.
King Calder as King Croxton. He was Vashti's father. He has appeared in many TV classics such as "Zane Grey Theatre" ~ "Mr. Lucky" ~ "Lawman" ~ "Perry Mason" & "Rawhide." He had a starring role in "Martin Kane, Private Eye" as Lt. Grey (1952-1954)
Paul Mantee as Cade Conway. He was the boyfriend of Vashti Croxto.
Paul has appeared in another episode of "The Rifleman" ~ John Wing in 'Incident at Line Shack Six.' Later in years he appeared with Chuck in "The Yellow Rose."
Bill Quinn as Sweeney the owner/bartender of The North Fork Saloon. Sweeney was first introduced to "The Rifleman" in 'The Marshal.' He has appeared in 39 episodes of "The Rifleman" as Sweeney the Bartender.
*Do you know....."Where was the man when he jumped off the bridge?????"
"He was not on the bridge because that was before he jumped.
He was not in the air above the bridge because that was after he jumped.
He had to be somewhere, but nobody has ever been able to tell me where he was.
So where was he?" by Bakeman
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with 
Short Rope for a Tall Man
The Prisoner