I was outside doing some work on the barn when I saw a stranger riding up. He told me the road markers were down a ways. He was wondering if he was on his way to North Fork. "A few more miles you would have been there. Say on the way in you didn't see a boy, a twelve year old on a chestnut mare?" He hadn't seen anyone. He asked if he was missing. "No, just late from school," I said. 
I couldn't help notice his Calvary union. He introduced himself as Capt. Josiah Perry, third Illinois. I asked him if he was planning on visiting North Fork or was he just passing through. "You might say I'm visiting kin," said the Captain. Just then Mark came riding in. "I'm sorry Pa, but when the fish started biting, well.....I forgot all about the time. But they'll be good for supper tho." "Mark, you were suppose to be home hours ago! And on the way home you were suppose to bring my axe blade from the blacksmiths, where is
it?" "Oh...I forgot it too." "A visit to the wood shed would sharpen his memory. Man or boy, strict discipline is the only way to teach them," said Capt. Perry. "Thanks for the advise, but I'll raise my boy my own way." "I've reared two of 'em. Two boys. They disobeyed my wishes and went their own ways. If I had beaten some sense into them when they were young, I might have gotten better then I've received. They've left me with bitterness and heartache. You listen to me McCain, discipline that boy or the same thing will happen to you. Good day!" said Capt. Perry. He then rode off. Mark asked who he was. "He sure was mean," said Mark. "He must have been hurt pretty bad. Mark, what am I gonna do with you?" He told me he knew he was wrong. He would abide by whatever punishment I had for him. I told him for the next week he was to come home right after school and he'll have some extra chores. "Right now, get back on that horse, go back into town and get my axe blade from the blacksmiths and don't dawdle, come right back." "Yes sir. Here we'll have these for supper. Alright?" He handed me the fish he caught and hurried on into town.
When Mark got to the blacksmiths, my axe blade wasn't done. He had to wait for it. Nils told him it would be done in a few minutes. "Yeah, but you don't understand, Pa wanted me to get right back." "So, I'll just explain to him that I didn't find time to finish the work like I prom
ised. Lucas will understand." He threw Mark a coin and told him to go get himself some candy and by the time he gets back , he'll have the blade ready. That made Mark happy. He thanked Nils and ran off to Hattie's.
The Captain had stopped by Micah's office. He was upset with Micah. Micah told him he couldn't remember who killed his son. "All I can say Captain is, the case is close." Micah didn't want things dug back up. He wanted it left alone. The Captain wanted to know how his son died and why. "You may not like what you hear," said Micah. He told Micah he came a long way to hear whatever it was. "Alright," said Micah. "Your son was involved in a criminal attempt to extort money. When he found out his plan wasn't going to work, he fought a gun, hoping to kill the man who got in his way." The Captain was more concerned with how his son died. He wanted to know if he was a coward. Micah told him it was a fair fight. He also told him the other man happened to be a bit faster. The Captain wanted to know who 'the other man' was. Micah told the Captain to let it rest there. He still wanted the name. Micah wouldn't budge. "I said it was a fair fight, naming names won't help anything." The Captain wanted to see this man and talk to him. Micah warned him about causing trouble. "His name!" said the Captain sharply while hitting his quirt on Micah's desk. "Goodbye Captain Perry." Reluctantly the Captain left the Marshal's office but he wasn't satisfied yet. He headed over to talk to Nils. Nils didn't remember anyone by the name of Lon Perry or any killing either. He asked why it was so important to him. The Captain told him he was the boys father. He told the Captain to go talk to the Marshal. He might be able to help him. Again no leads. The Captain left disgusted.
Just as he was leaving he saw Mark heading for the blacksmith's. "Well son, I didn't expect to see you up and around so soon," said the Captain. "Well I was just gonna pick up some things for my Pa and get right back. He's probably missing me already." "You...ah...don't happen to know the way to Willow Springs do you?" Ask the Captain. "Oh sure, I can draw it for you in the dirt." 
"Well, fair enough," said the Captain. "First of all, you know the road your coming into town on? Instead of going straight ahead you turn right. Keep on following it," said Mark. "I see. You know, your a smart young fella. I wonder if you can help me. You know, last July, a man was killed in this town. In a gunfight. The name of Lon Perry." Mark remembered. He started to get up, but the Captain stopped him and again asked him the same question. "Well, I don't know," said Mark. "Ah sure you do," said the Captain. "Smart young fellow like you would remember a gunfight." "What do you want to know about it?" Asked Mark. "Well.....I'd just like to know who killed him. You see I've been wanting to thank whoever did it." "You wanna thank him?" Asked Mark. "That's right. See I've been looking for Perry myself. Oh he was a mean one he was. Now it looks like someone in your town done me a favor." "Looks like you've come to the right person," smiled Mark. Perry laughed. "See it was my Pa who shot him." "McCain?" Asked Perry. "This Perry, he challenged him and Pa tried to avoid a fight but, he had no choice." "You've been real helpful, son. Real helpful." "Is that all you want?" Asked Mark. He just turned and walked away, hitting his quirt against his boot.
I got tired of waiting for Mark and decided to head on into town and see what was taking him so long. I headed straight for the blacksmith's. "Mark!" "It wasn't ready Pa. You can ask Nils." "He's right Lucas. It's ready now," said Nils. As we headed out of the barn Captain Perry approached me. I said hello to him. He was angry. He took his quirt and tried to hit me with it. I grabbed his arm. "It was you who killed my son McCain." "I don't know what your talking about Captain. He then drew his gun on me. He told me Lon Perry was his boy. I remembered. He forced a gunfight, there was nothing I could do. All he was concerned with was who killed his son. He didn't care why. "Did you think you could kill my son and not be punished for it, the same as I would have punished him if he was alive?" "Take your punishment like a man," said the Captain. He then cocked his gun. I kicked his gun out of his hand. I grabbed him and then pushed him to the ground. I called to Mark. We headed for our horses. Luckily Micah came when he did. He got there in time to stop Perry, he was going for his gun. "I
'm locking him up until he cools off," said Micah. "You better try and talk some sense into him Micah." I then rode off.
We were eating supper. I noticed Mark wasn't eating much. I asked him if something was bothering him. He told me how the Captain tricked him into tell him who killed his son. He told me he was kinda proud I was the one who killed his son. "Proud! I've taught you always, there's nothing to be proud of killing a man. No matter who he is or what he's done." He apologized. Mark couldn't understand why he wanted to punish me when he hated his son so much. I told him he had discipline mixed up with retribution. In his mind he feels someone has to pay for what his son did to him. Now his son is dead, he had tuned to me.
Capt. Perry asked Micah how long he was going to keep him. Micah wasn't sure. He told Micah he had to be back at the post in four days and it was a good four days ride from North Fork. Micah told him he couldn't help that. He then tried another approach. He asked Micah if he had any children. When Micah told him no, he told him he was lucky. You'd have to be lucky to have them turn out good today. He talked about seeing his son's grave and how it did something to him today. He told Micah how he dreamed of his boys carrying on the Perry name. How Ben was no longer his son and Lon dead, just an outlaw, nothing much left except hate and striking out at things. Micah understood. He felt that Perry had changed his way of thinking. Perry told him he was done with this town and all the rest. All he wanted was to get back to his post. Micah told him if he would give him his word he wouldn't cause anymore trouble, he would let him out. "As an officer and a gentleman," said Capt. Perry. Micah left him go.
Ben, the Captain's son just arrived in town. Their paths had crossed. Ben went to see Micah. He told Micah that someone at the hotel told him he was holding his father. Micah told him he was, but had left him go. He left 
to go back to his post. Ben told Micah he heard about the trouble with me and he wanted to apologize for his fathers actions. He then left and headed out to our ranch.
Mark had gone to bed and I thought I would read for a while when I heard someone ride up. I grabbed my rifle and headed out unto the porch. A man called my name. "Mr. McCain?" He told me his name was Ben Perry and that he was looking for his father, Capt. Perry. I told him he wasn't here. I asked him what he wanted. He told me he didn't come to make trouble. He wanted to talk to me. He told me he just rode in and had heard what had happened today. He told me Micah had released his father and he felt he was on his way here. I felt that Micah wouldn't have left the captain go if he felt he would cause trouble. Ben hoped I was right. But he doubted it. He was hoping to prevent anything happening to his father. He didn't want any bloodshed. He felt responsible for his father coming here. He felt he should have tried to stop him, but didn't. He told me how he went to divinity school and never told his father. A few days ago he was ordained as a minister. Again, he didn't tell his father. His father had wanted him to come out here to North Fork. He just told him he couldn't go. He showed me his collar and told me he took it off before riding into town. He was afraid for his father to see it. "The day I put that collar on I thought about the duties and responsibilities that go along with it. I'm suppose to lead my flock, help heal those souls, ease their afflictions. I realized then if I was to help anyone, I'd have to start with my father first." "Reverend Perry, are you gonna do it with the collar on or off?" "On, Mr. McCain." He took his collar from my hand and placed it around his neck.
"McCain," yelled Capt. Perry, "McCain." I grabbed my rifle and headed for the door. Reverend Perry convinced me to leave my rifle inside while I confronted his father. Just them Mark came to the doorway. "Pa, what's a matter?" "You stay here son, you stay right here." Ben went out the door and tried to talk to his father. He wanted just to see me. He told his father to look at him. He had his collar on. "This is why I couldn't go
with you. This is what I wanted. Please try to understand." said Ben. "Out of my way," he yelled as he pushed Ben aside. "You ready McCain?" I told him to go home. I wasn't gonna help him push this grudge. "Pa," said Mark. "Stay where you are son." "Give him his rifle boy," said the Captain. "No son." Captain Perry took his gun from his holster. "Don't force me to shoot an unarmed man, McCain." He then aimed his gun at me. "Pa, he means it!" Yelled Mark. He then threw my rifle to me. I shot several times on the ground by the horses hoofs causing the horse to throw the captain. Mark ran to me and held me. Ben was by his fathers side. "Your boy.....disobeyed you," said Capt. Perry. "Yes he did Captain. But out of love." "The boy did it out of love father, can't you understand that?" "Benjamin, lets go home." Ben thanked me. They went on their way.
We went inside. I picked my book back up and told Mark he better get to bed. "You know Pa, I just realized something." "What's that?" "This is one time a son taught his Pa a lesson." "Oh you mean the Reverend and Captain Perry. Well, that can happen sometimes Mark." "Oh...oh of course, I know between with us we know who does all the teachin'." "You know something son? I think we oughta get you a haircut tomorrow morning." "Ahhhhh.....Pa." "Right now, goodnight."
piddlin'stuff.....Don Dubbins played Ben Perry. He was the son of C
apt. Josiah Perry. He was the ordained minister.
Remember him in the first episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" as Lt. Pete Conway 'The Lady in the Bottle?'
He was handed a film career out of nowhere by Jimmy Cagney, who took a liking to the baby-faced kid and gave him co-starring roles in a couple of his rugged features, with little prior experience.
John Hoyt played
Before linking up with Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre in 1937 he was a Yale graduate and had been a history instructor, acting teacher and nightclub comedian. I was surprised by this because he usually plays serious roles.
Another "The Untouchables" guest star.
Richard Alexander the Blacksmith ~ Richard "Dick" Alexander played Nels in three episodes—'Smoke Screen'—'The Martinet'—'The Deserter'
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?????
Dick also appeared with Chuck in "Branded"
'The Martinet'—In the part where Lucas is confronted by Captain Perry and Lucas gets on his horse and tells Micah, "You better try and talk some sense into him Micah."
The sign on the building behind him reads "Feed and Grain - Wes Carney - Prop."
Wes and Clare Carney moved out of North Fork back in the episode #17—'The Retired Gun'
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with 
