A man was shot down right before 
our eyes on the streets of North Fork. The victim, Flecker, was still alive. I took him over to Doc Burrage's to see if there was any hope. Doc assured me he done all he could do and it would only be a matter of time. As he was dying, Flecker asked me to take care of his horse. I couldn't get him to tell me what his quarrel was with Haskins. "My boots, my boots. I died with my boots on," he repeated over and over, and then he drew his last breath. Doc warned me to stay out of this affair or I'd be the next one on the table. I left Doc's office thinking I'd never know the reason for the dying man's words.Mark was waiting outside with the dead man's horse. "Can we keep him? He'd be good company for my sorrel." I decided Mark could take care of the horse for a while. We tied the horse onto our wagon and headed for home.
Haskins showed up at our ranch the next day. Mark and I were building our new porch when he approached us and told me I had something that belonged to him. 
He pulled his gun and demanded I give it to him. I couldn't convince the gunslinger I didn't have what he wanted. I knocked the gun out of his hand with my hammer. "I don't know what Flecker had on you and I don't care, but nobody walks on me on my own place. Haskins, you'd better think it over while your ride back to town. Maybe it will save you another trip." As Haskins was leaving, the dead man's horse took a nip at his hand. He was angered by this, but rode off. Mark and I talked it over and we couldn't decide what had made this man take out his anger on us. I decided to ride into town the next day to see if I could find what Haskins was after.
I couldn't get past the man talking about dying with his boots on. I had an idea to go back to Doc Burrage's and check Flecker's boots. There I found it, the wanted poster - the reason for Haskins gunning him down. Haskins secret was out. "Stay out of it, Lucas," Doc warned me. It's early in the morning and Doc Burrage was drinking. "What happened to you that you're drinking so early in the morning," I asked? He'd seen 2 children die yesterday, an 8 year-old-girl, and a 16 year-old-boy. "What'd the kids die of Doc?" I asked. "Anthrax," he said. "We've got an epidemic starting." He had a new cure, 
a serum, but folks waited until it was too late to bring the kids in for treatment. He could have saved them. Shocked by this revelation I rushed home to warn Mark.
While I was at the Doc's, Haskins visits our ranch again. I guess he didn't learn his lesson the first time. Mark was there alone and Haskins bullied him into telling where I kept my important papers. Mark ran away to hide in the barn while Haskins ransacked our house. Haskins heard me riding in and hid behind the front door. He had me dead to rights as I walked in the front door. "Where's my son?" I wanted to know. "Drop the rifle - slow," demanded Haskins. I let the rifle fall to the floor. "I'll take that paper you got off Flecker," he said. I stalled. "Haven't you already found it?" He let me know right fast - "I'm gonna kill you McCain!" I had to think fast. I reminded Haskins that Flecker's pony had nipped him the other day and the pony was sick with Anthrax. He was infected now and Anthrax is fatal. It would do no good to shoot me. I wouldn't turn him in. It would only be a matter of time before he would be sick. Soon he would have chills and fever hot enough to burn a man up. His brain would rattle and ache. 
He'd gradually go mad with the pain. Haskins demanded I prove the horse was really sick and he led me to the barn at gunpoint. Mark was outside the window and overheard what I'd told Haskins. He looked at the bite on his own hand and was sure his days were numbered too. Mark decided he was gonna do what he could to save his Pa. Mark picked up my rifle from the floor and quietly followed us to the barn. In the barn, Haskins saw the horse was indeed foaming at the mouth, evidence of the anthrax. He became angry and shot the pony. I had to take this chance to get the gun from Haskins and we struggled. Mark shouted at me to catch the rifle. He tossed it to me. I shot Haskins down. I sure was glad Mark had been calm enough to toss me the rifle and I told him so. "I didn't do nothing," he meekly answered. "You just saved our lives is all. We make a good team and we're gonna last a long time as long as we look after each other."
Something was still troubling Mark and I asked him to sit down and talk it over. He said seeing the pony shot and a gun held on me was what upset him. 
But I knew my son too well and I knew he was holdin' back on me. We had promised to tell each other everything. As tears filled his eyes he showed me the bite on his hand. He heard what I told Haskins and thought he was gonna die too. He didn't want to worry me. I assured him I had only told that story to stall Haskins and he shouldn't worry because Doc Burrage has a new serum for anthrax. "Pa, you don't need to tell me that if it ain't so," said Mark. "It's so, Mark," I said. A flood of tears came from Mark as he cried from relief. "Come on son, let's go." I scooped him up into my arms and off to town for the serum.
The long needle Doc Burrage was carrying toward Mark looked awfully 
scary, even to me. Doc asked if Mark wanted to be a doctor when he grew up. Doc tried to distract Mark, but it wasn't working. "No, I'd rather work with my Pa. We make a good team," said Mark. Mark and I both winced, but the shot was over as fast as it began. "That didn't hurt a bit, did it?" Doc asked Mark. "Huh!" replied Mark. We couldn't help but burst with laughter as the worst of it was over.
piddlin' stuff.....Edgar Buchanan, who played Doc Burrage, in 5 episodes of "The Rifleman." 'The Angry Man' - 'The Second Witness' - 'The Deadly Wait' - 'The Trade' - 'The Pet.' He also appeared in another episode of "The 
Rifleman" as Grandpa Fogarty in 'The Long Goodbye'..... As head of the town council, Lucas is asked to remove a young boy from the custody of an older man, who many people believe to be incapable of raising the boy.
He went on to play Uncle Joe in the series "Petticoat Junction". How many of you remember him as "Judge Roy Bean"? He also appeared in "Shane." He appeared as Judge Bryson in "Move over Darling" with Chuck. He has entertained us for years and years.
Robert J. Wilke played the heavy Haskins in this episode. He played Florry Sheldon in 'The Marshal.'
He was an expert golfer, he was said by his friend Claude Akins to have earned more money on the golf course than he ever did in movies. (taken from the IMDB) I can't imagine him being able to make more on the golf course than in the movies. He had done so much in TV and the movies - I can't imagine him ever being idle. He was another star of "The Magnificent " and "The Cheyenne Social Club." He wasn't one of the main characters, but he has one of those faces that you remember but not the name.Bill Erwin who played Flecker in this episode appeared in many, many things. His credits are longer then you can imagine. I know you have seen him over and over again. One thing in particular that sticks out in my mind is "Somewhere in Time" as Arthur Biehl, the desk clerk at the Grand Hotel. Remember Arthur, he's the little boy bouncing the ball in the beginning and when Richard goes back in time to find Elsie, Arthur is a grown man who is Bill Erwin. Talk about a love story! WOW!
Hal Jon Norman who played the father of the little girl that had anthrax, was also in 'Seven' as Frost.
