Micah and I were in his office playing chess, I thought I had him beaten this time.  He wasn't ready to give up, not yet.  Out of nowhere we heard someone yell for Micah.  It was Colly.  He had brought in the Domino Kid.  He had gone hunting today and it was getting late, so he started for home.  On his way home he saw a campfire and thought maybe he could get himself a cup of coffee.  He knew who he was by his trademark guns—dominos on the handle.  He told him to put his hands up.  The Domino Kid turned to reach for his gun and that's when he shot him, in the back. By now the townfolks were starting to gather around.  Everyone was surprised when they found out that it was Colly who shot the Kid. The townfolks were in disbelief.   Colly was a mild, meek man.  This was something you would not expect of Colly.  Sam Bedford had to go check for himself.  He ran the stage line that posted the $1,000 reward on the Kid. When he saw that the Kid was shot in the back, he refused to pay the reward.  Micah reminded him that he did post it himself—'dead or alive'. "Alright, you'll get it.  In silver.  In thirty pieces at a time", said Bedford.  Then left.  You would think the town would be happy that Colly had rid the west of the Kid, but instead they were upset that he had put a bullet in the back of the Domino Kid.  They town turned on Colly.  He didn't understand why they felt they felt the way they did.  I told him that shooting a man in the back always leaves room for doubt.

While having breakfast the next morning, I had told Mark about the Domino Kid.  Mark's reaction was the same as everyone else.  "Colly Vane shot the Domino Kid?  I never thought he had the nerve to talk back to a nanny goat.  Boy, I bet the whole towns talking about it, huh?" Asked Mark.  I told Mark I was going to town later today to pick up some supplies. I told him I would wait around for school to let out and we could ride home together.

 When I got into town, I didn't see any sign of Mark.  I asked Micah if he had seen him.  He handed me a paper and asked me to sign it so Colley could get his reward money.  I wasn't the only one who saw Colly bring in the Kid.  Micah couldn't sign it and the others won't.  I gave him the paper back.  He told me they wanted Colly tried for murder. There was some commotion at the end of town.  Micah told me that Bedford fired Colly first thing this morning and Jacobs had his wife throw Colly out of his boarding house.  I looked to see a gang of kids harassing Colly.  They were pulling and tugging at Colly.  Mark was right in the thick of it all.  This angered me.  Mark had his back towards me.  He was surprised when he turned and saw me.  I took Colly's shirt from Marks hand and gave it to Colly and told Mark to get into the rig.  I told the other boy I thought they had better things to do and sent them on their way.  "Maybe you better make yourself scares for a while Colly."  He said he intended to and thanked me.  "Let's go find a pen Micah."  After that, I decided I was going to sign the paper for Colly to get his money.

"You mad at me Pa?"  "No Mark, I'm just disappointed in you.  It seemed to me you always stood on your own two feet.  You had your own ideas and stuck to 'em.  Never saw you trail along with the herd before."   "But Pa, everybody know he shot him in the back."  "Nobody knows anything but what Colly said."  "But it's a lie, everybody know that Colly couldn't stand up to anybody as good as the Domino Kid in a fair fight."  "Good Mark, an outlaw, a killer?"  "Well, he's better then somebody like Colly."  We rode home without saying a word to each other.

When we got home Colly and his girlfriend, Alice, were waiting to talk to me.  Alice wanted me to sell Colly a horse.  No one else would.  "Running away Colley?"  I asked. He denied it.  In a way he was.  He could take it anymore.  I told him he should stand up for himself.  If what he said was true then he should stand behind it and not run away.  The bigger they make the Domino Kid, the smaller he's going to be.  He has to deal with it right here in North Fork.  I guess I made sense because he changed his mind about running.  Just then three cowboys rode in.  They were looking for a friend of theirs who had camped up on the hills.  They were supposed to meet him there.  I told them I hadn't seen anybody.  They told me that if anything has happened to him, they would take it personal.  They said they were going to find someone who could.  They rode out in the direction of North Fork.  This changed everything.  I told Colly I'd give him a horse.  He had changed his mind.  "Stand up for what I thought was right.  Isn't that what you said, Mr. McCain?"  He was going back into town.  The townfolks were going to have to decide who was telling the truth, him or the dead man. 

Just about the whole town showed up to view the Domino Kid.  I  saw Micah.  I asked him if he saw three strange gunslingers in town.  Just then they came out of the undertakers.  If they didn't know who killed the kid they soon would.  He told me to keep Colly with me until they left.  I had to go talk to Sam Bedford and try to talk him into getting the reward money.  I told him I didn't understand him glorifying an outlaw.  I mentioned that maybe Alice and Colly were getting a little too serious for him.  Alice, Colly's girl is Sam's daughter.  He felt that Colly wasn't good enough for his daughter.  "He's a cowardly little coyote."   He told me the money would be in on the morning stage.  I asked him if I could pick it up for Colly.  "What's the matter, is he too timid to even do that now?"  There was no talking to him.  He hated Colly.  He knew about the gunslingers being in town.  He was hoping Colly would get what he deserved.  "You call Colly a coward.  If you want somebody killed, why don't you do it yourself?"

The three gunslingers were waiting for me to come out of  the stage depot.  They wanted to know what I knew about the sidewinder who killed their friend.  I wouldn't tell them anything.  They decided they could take me.  I hit one and then another.  I flipped my rifle and held Dorn, the one gunslinger at bay.  He stepped aside as I slowly walked away. 

Colly was still at the ranch.  We got to talkin' about horses.  He told me he wanted to be a veterinarian,  Now with the money he could.  I told him the money would be in tomorrow morning.  He was glad.  Maybe by tomorrow night he & Alice could be in Kansas City.  I asked him to hold off on picking up the reward money,  because those gunslingers were still in town.  But he was ready to face up to this whole mess.  I told Colly to stay here and wait until morning and I'd go with him. 

I went up to the house to tell Mark to set another place at the table.  He was upset and said Colly could have his place, he wasn't hungry.  "Colly's a guest in our home, you show respect.  You hear me boy?"  "Yes Pa."  "Well I don't know"  why you want me to respect somebody like him."  I was so mad that I sent Mark off to bed. 

When I got up the next morning, Colly had gone into town ahead of me.  I hurried into town.  The cowboys were waiting to see who picked up the reward money.  There was some others there I hadn't seen before.  Some of the townfolks were there, just waiting and watching.  The stage had just pulled into town and the reward money should be on it.  I headed over to see Sam.  He was upset because he found out that Alice was leaving with Colly.  I told him he had nothing to worry about, they wouldn't let him get far.  He was afraid his daughter would blame him.  He wanted me to stop Colly.  He'd give me the money but it was too late.  Colly was in town and headed for the stage depot.  "Mr. Bedford, Mr. Bedford, I'm here to collect."   He wasn't even carrying a gun.  Sam told him to come in here, but he wouldn't.  He wanted the whole town to know he came for his money.  "I'm here to collect the money for killing the Domino Kid."  Just then Dorn, who was one of the three gunslingers, came up from behind the bank.  He tried to shoot Colly in the back, but got his shoulder.  I ran out of the depot shooting.  First I shot Dorn, then the other.  The third one charged at me but I had the drop on him.  I turned to the crowd and said, "Unarmed and in the back.  Hope your all proud of yourselves. Now Colly's a hero, like the Domino Kid."

Colly and Alice were on their way to Kansas.  "I sure was wrong not believing Colly's story."  "That may be so, son, but your not as wrong as some of the older people in town that should have know better."  "Maybe in some ways they could use a little growing up too."  "In one way or another Mark, we can all use some growing up," said Micah.  "Well don't include you and Pa."  "Yes son, us too."   

---

piddlin' stuff.....Robert Culp played in two episodes of "The Rifleman."  'The Hero' as Colly Vane.  He played the town hero until the town folks found out the outlaw was shot in the back and 'The Man from Salinas' as Dave Foley, the bounty hunter who claimed to be Rudy Gray's brother so he could get the $2,000 bounty on Gray.  Remember him in "Trackdown," "I Spy" and "The Greatest American Hero."  He also played Warren, Debra's father on "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Beside being an actor, he has wrote and directed many of things.  He even wrote a two part episode for "The Rifleman"  ~ 'Waste' 1 & 2. 
Johnny Crawford appeared with Robert Culp in "Trackdown".
 He would have replaced Larry Hagman as J.R. in "Dallas" if Hagman decided not to return to the series because of contract negotiations. 

Frank Ferguson played Sam Bedford, Alice's father and the man in charge of the stage line. He also appeared with Robert Culp in "Trackdown".  He has appeared in numerous things from all the westerns way back when to "My Friend Flicka", "Peyton Place," and "Return to Peyton Place." He played hundreds of ranchers, bankers, and police detectives in films and television throughout the Fifties and Sixties.

Lynn Cartier played Mrs. Porter in 'Panic'.  She was the lady in the General Store who overheard Cass and Mark's conversation.  In  'The Hero'  she played Colly Van's girlfriend and Sam Bedford's daughter.

Dick Keene was Mr. Jethroe.  He was the old timer in the beginning of the episode.   He is one of the townfolks who was surprised that Colly got the Domino Kid.  He at first thought Colly to be 'The Hero'.

Dennis Cross appeared in several episodes of  "The Rifleman".  'The Safe Guard' as Witcherly - 'The Gaucho' as Ned Dunnell, he was killed by Manolo for liking his sister. - 'The Pasty' as Lafe Oberly, a member of Doke's gang - 'The Hero' as Dorn, the gunslinger in charge - 'The Vision' as Fance Degnan.  He was the cowboy by the wagon that laughed when Mark told Hazel he thought she was pretty and as Martin in 'The Quiet Fear.'  He was the cowboy he laughed - thought it funny a woman who couldn't talk. 
 He also appeared with Chuck and Johnny in "Branded" ~ 'Coward Step Aside'. 

Steven Marlo as the Domini Kid.  Steven was in three more episodes of "The Rifleman"―'The Assailants' as Sgt. Will― 'The Anvil Chorus' as Stagg as Doke Marvin in 'The Patsy.'
He also was in "Branded" a three part-er - 'The Mission' as Private Tyler with Chuck.

'The Hero'— Lucas pulls into town in his wagon and stops across from a building that has a large window facing the street: two film hands can be seen via the reflection in the window as they duck down between the wagon and the building.  Thanks Rob & Chawin'  Charlie! 

*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with