Episode 158I was out on the north ridge cutting some wood, trying to get some wood ahead for the winter. Mark rode over to the south ridge to see what he could find. He said he couldn't find anything there, but had checked over by the Saw Lake and there was plenty of good wood there. I told him we still had enough work ahead of us this morning here on the north ridge, but we would head on
over by the lake this afternoon. I then asked Mark if he would like a drink. He started for the canteen and then realized he had emptied it previously. He apologized and headed for home to fill the canteen.
When Mark got to the ranch he found the door to the house standing open. He slowly entered the house. As Mark stepped inside he was surprised by someone saying....."Just hold it there! Drop the canteen!" Mark did as he was told. "Hands up.....easy!" Mark raised his hands in the air. "You Lucas McCain's kid?" Mark nodded. "Where's your Pa?" Asked the stranger. Mark started to answer....."Ahhhhh.....He's....." "Don't cross me kid.....I said where's your Pa?" "He's.....he's.....in town at the hotel," said Mark. Mark dropped his hands and turned as he asked the stranger who he was. Mark was surprised to see a boy his age standing there. Mark asked....."What do you want my Pa for?" For murder, said the boy and he twirled his pistol and dropped it in his holster. The boy then turned and went out the back door. He then headed to North Fork. It never occurred to him that Mark had lied to him.
Mark rushed to tell me what had happened. I was surprised when Mark told me about this boy, Marks age, wanting me for murder. He said he told him I was in town. He also mentioned this boy was packing his own gun. Mark asked me what it was all about. I had no idea. But I was about to fined out.
The stranger headed into North Fork and straight for the hotel. Lou got a smirk on her face when she saw this boy walk into the hotel. He told Lou he was looking for me. Lou told him that she was sure I wasn't coming to town today. He told her it was important that he find me. She told him he looked like he needed a rest and a meal. She also told him he needed a bath. "Lady.....I've got a thousand miles of honest sweat & dirt, it don't smell bad to me!" As he started to walk away Lou asked him if he'd like a room. He 
started to go through his pocket for some money. "If you don't have the money now, I'll trust ya' for it," said Lou. "I never let a debt go without paying it off, you'll get your money," said the stranger as he signed the guestbook. "A thousand miles.....Oklahoma Territory," said Lou. Lou started telling him about her sister and how she had a boy very much like him. She said she was closer to him then his own parents and she attributed it to her being a footloose wonderer herself. She told him how they never heard from him again and how she would bet he hadn't written to his folks since he left the territory. He told her that his folks were dead. He said his Ma had gotten sick and died, but his Pa wasn't sick a day in his life. Lou asked him if he was killed. He changed the subject and asked about the food. "First the bath.....then the grub," said Lou. "Look lady.....I don't like to be treated like a kid. You treat me like a grown up and we'll get along just fine." "Here's a towel and some soap.....don't forget to wash behind your ears. And if you don't have another shirt, wash that one and hang it on the rack," said Lou. She then handed him the key. "Room 3.....the only one without a shavin' mug."
When I got to town I went to the hotel. Lou was behind the desk. I asked her if someone had been looking for me. She told me there was a boy who came from the Oklahoma Territory looking for me. She showed me the guest register. Gridley Maule Jr. She asked me what it was that he wanted to see me about. "Seems he wants to kill me," I said. Lou was surprised when I said that. I kept trying to remember the name. Maule.....Maule.....I did remember shooting a bank robber by that name years ago in Oklahoma Territory. I asked Lou what the boy was like. She said that's just what he was.....a boy who acted twice his age and pretended to be mean and tuff. Just as I started for the stairs, the boy was coming down the stairs. As he headed out the door I asked....."Gridley Maule Jr.?" He turned to look at me. "You pulled a gun on my son, I don't like that boy!" "Well now.....you must be Lucas McCain!" "I've come to even up the score for my Pa!," said Maule. He wanted us to go outside and have it out. I told him he had a big advantage of being young and not to press the issue. I told him he was itchy. He said I was stalling him and that he had come a long way for this. He then walked over to me. "Look boy.....there's something you ought to know about your father....." "I know enough about my father!" I told him he was going to listen anyway. He said he didn't come this far to talk, 
then he slapped me across the face. He sure doesn't leave a man much choice.
We went out into the street. I got my rifle out of its holster. As I looked at him I asked him if he wanted to know why I had to shoot his father. He said he didn't want to know anything; I was to make my move.
Just then Micah came out of his office. He approached me and asked me what was going on. I told him I would tell him later. I asked him if he has any matches. I then stuck six matches on a hitching post and then lit them with my bullets. I asked Maule if he was willing to talk now. He then went and shot all the burning tops off the match sticks. "I'll be reloaded in a jiffy!" Said Maule. I told him to go back where he came from. "Your scared of someone who will stand up to your rifle! You're lousy coward!" Yelled Maule. That was a little hard to swallow, but I did it. "I'm gonna git me some coffee," I said as I headed into the hotel. He followed me in yelling that I haven't seen the last of him and I'd see, he was going to make me fight. Micah told him to get on his horse and ride out of here. Without another word he mounted his horse and rode on.
I didn't know what to do about the boy. I'm sure this wasn't the last of it. Micah said if he came back to town he would find an excuse to lock him up until he cooled off. Lou asked us if we would like a woman's opinion. She thought we should consider his upbringing and what makes him act the way he does. Just then it dawned on me what Maule meant when he said he could make me fight. "Mark!" Mark was out at the ranch alone, I bet that's what he meant by that! Without another word I headed out to the ranch.
Mark was unloading the wood from the wagon when Maule rode into the ranch. He got off his horse and took a pistol out of his saddle bags. He told Mark how he slapped my face in front of people, but I still wouldn't shoot it out with him. "He's lily livered boy.....just plain lily livered!" "You don't know what you're talking about! Yelled Mark. Maule then threw the gun to the ground and told Mark to pick it up. He told Mark he could get as even with one McCain as another. Again he told Mark to pick up the gun. But Mark didn't. He told Mark if he didn't pick it up he would kill him. He then 
drew on Mark and demanded he pick it up. Mark picked it up. He told Maule he was not allowed to use a hand gun. He told Mark it was about time he did. Mark threw the gun. He told him he wasn't going to have a gunfight with him or anyone else. Maule told Mark he was just like his Pa and when I got to the ranch Mark was to tell him what happened and he would be waiting for me inside.
When I got to the ranch I asked Mark where he was. He told me what had happened and how Maule tried to have a shoot out with him. I yelled to Maule in the house. I told him I was waiting for him outside. He was pleased with himself. I had a plan, here's hoping it would work. I stood at the edge of the porch. When Maule stepped out unto the porch; Mark ran up behind Maule and grabbed him. I also grabbed him and told Mark to get a rope. We tired him up and I took him into town in the buckboard.
Micah saw me pull up with Maule tied up. I told Micah he started up again at the ranch and that he tried to force Mark into a shootout. Lou saw me come into town with Maule and she came into Micah's office. Maule said he wasn't going to shoot Mark he was just trying to force my hand. "I want him in jail Micah, I'll swear out a complaint right now." Maule said he'd be out in two days and he'd come for me again. Micah said he could write to Washington and they have a corrective institute for boys there. He would have to apply for a commitment and that could take 2 or 3 months. "I don't lie!" "Both of the guns were empty, you gotta believe me, I wouldn't shoot a kid," said Maule.
I grabbed the chair and went over to talk to the boy. "All this trouble you're causing.....you think I shot your Pa purposely, don't you?" I asked Maule. "I was eight when they brought my father home. It took me more then a half day to dig the grave. And when I got done, the only thing I could do to keep from bawling all the time was to take his gun and learn to use it. For a year I had to use two hands. And then another year until my thumb got big enough to cock it. I practiced night and day and for three years more. I can shoot and I can shoot in the dark, and I mean to pay you back for what you did." "Did you know your Pa was in the act of robbing a bank?" He said he knew he was robbing a bank. I told him his Pa was running with the money and I just happened by between him and his horse. He took a shot at me; there was nothing I could do. He would have shot again. He said I didn't understand. When he was alive he\is Pa was good to him. He said I didn't understand, that was his Pa. I told him I did understand. I also told him I would be willing to drop the charges if he would be willing to forget about
the revenge and go back home. He refused my offer. He left me no other choice; I told Micah I was ready to swear out the complaint. As Micah started to lock up Maule, he swore he come back and kill me after he was sent to Washington. Micah told him to cool down as he locked him up.
Lou felt she could help the boy. She felt he deserved a chance. She asked if she could talk with him. Reluctantly Micah left her talk to him. Lou started to ask Maule some questions about his mother. He was three years old when she died. He never really knew her. It was his Pa who raised him. Lou felt that his Pa left him do whatever he wanted to and he had been doing it ever since. He told Lou he learned fast how to take care of himself. She knew he never had any guidance. He told her to get out. She told him if he would behave she would ask Micah to put him in her custody. He would have to forget about killing me for one week. He didn't like that. But Lou turned on her charm and finally got Maule to agree. But for that week he would put himself in her hands. He agreed.
Well Lou did it. Even tho we reluctantly agreed, she won. She convinced us that he was a different boy with her and she could handle him. Micah and I went over to talk to him. He promised he would behave while he was with Lou. We agreed. Lou and Maule headed over to the hotel to get something to eat.
She told Grid to sit down and he could order anything he wanted. "First I'll have a large bowl of bean soup and then a steak, rare and a big bowl of mashed potatoes, a big bowl of peas, and a double order of apple pie with cheese and coffee." Lou told him the food would be waiting for him when he finished taking his bath. Grid said he didn't need a bath. Lou insisted he take a bath and he insisted he didn't need one. She then went and shut the doors to the dinning room. She them walked over to Grid and leaned on the table and said....."I'm ordering you to go take a bath." He told her he wasn't doing anything wrong and she should stop giving him orders. Lou told him she would give him all the orders she wanted to and he'd be taking them. She then upset the table and him along with it. Grid told her he didn't want to have to hit her so he was going back to jail. "Listen to me young man.....we made a deal and you're gonna stick with it! Now git upstairs and take that bath!" He didn't like being ordered around or being pushed. She then pushed him into the wall. She then slapped his face several times. As he tried to 
get away she tripped him. Just as we entered the hotel we heard a commotion in the dining room. Micah and I opened the doors. Lou was helping Maule up from the floor, she said they were just having a little talk and Grid agreed. He told us he was on his way to get a bath. Micah and I just stood there in amazement.
That evening we all had dinner together. As we were finishing up dinner Nils stopped by the table to compliment Lou on his dinner. He asked Maule if he had thought any more on the offer of being his apprentice. Maule agreed to take the position. Just then Maule pulled out of his pocket three cigars. He gave one to Micah and one to me and one for him. Micah told him he was a little young for cigars. He agreed. Mark told Grid he thought that he was laying it on a little thick. Just then.....BANG.....BANG. Our cigars exploded. Grid and Mark sat there laughing at us. "Good cigar Lucas.....a little noisy, but a pretty good smoke," said Micah.
piddlin' stuff.....Billy E. Hughes Jr. as Gridley Maule in this episode of
'The Sidewinder.' He was the boy who came to North Fork to seek revenge on Lucas. 
He was Aaron in 'Day of Reckoning,' Jamison's son. Jeffrey Waller in 'Long Gun from Tucson,' He was the son of the gunsmith and the boy that he and Mark sat in his bedroom crying.
Billy was an actor during the 1960s and 70s. He was the son of former stuntman/producer Billy E. Hughes Sr. His uncle is stuntman Robert (Whitey) Hughes. His first film was "Ole Rex" (1961) which was produced by his father.
He appeared with Chuck in "Good Morning, Miss Dove"—"Arrest and Trial."
Billy was one of the stuntmen in "The Wild Bunch." He also in "Smoke in the Wind" as Till Mondier. This was Billy's last appearance on TV & in the movies, what a shame, he was so good!
Here is a picture of Billy Hughes Jr. from that 1975 movie, "Smoke in the Wind." This photo was supplied by a friend of a friend of Billy Hughes Jr.
He appeared in several other show such as "Lassie"—"Wagon Train"—"The Twilight Zone"—"Dr. Kildare"—"Gunsmoke"—"Leave It to Beaver"—"General Electric Theater"—"General Electric Theater"—"Shirley Temple's Storybook"—"The Law and Mr. Jones"—"The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor"—"Climax!" and "Perry Mason"—"Johnny Ringo", among several others. Some of these shows he appeared in several times.
Grid Maule's biography by rooster davis
May you rest in peace Cowboy!—Billy Hughes Jr.
I've seen where a lot of these stars appeared in the "Shirley Temple's Storybook"—I don't remember this show.....anybody remember it? "WhatsayU?"
Sadly Billy left us on December 20, 2005. Here you will find a link to him and a later picture. Billy Hughes Jr. May you rest in peace Grid!
Joe Higgins as Nils the Blacksmith
In this episode Lucas sticks six matches on a hitching post and then lights them with his bullets. Whatever happen to shooting cans, bottles and do-dads on hotel signs? Did you notice no more doo-dads on the sign? Odds n' ends 11
I wonder if Lou's Apple pie got any better by this episode. It must have because they never mention her pie again. Just like a Cowboy.....they'll tell ya' when the pie doesn't taste good, but nothing when you improve on it. ; )
When Mark rode to the north ridge to tell Lucas about Gridley Maule, pulling a gun on him, watch Blueboy! He keeps nudging Mark (Johnny) and all the while Mark's talking he's trying to keep Blueboy in control.
Another blooper—file footage—before Lucas realized that Grid is on his way to the ranch he has on a short sleeve shirt. When they show him on the way to the ranch he has on along sleeve shirt—when he gets to the ranch he has short sleeves on again.
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with 
The Sixteenth Cousin
Suspicion