Mark and I had gone about 150 miles from the Rio G
rande into Mexico. We were on our way to buy a seed bull. Mark asked if it was always this hot in Mexico. I told him it was. He said he had wanted to see Mexico.....but when it stopped looking like New Mexico. Out of nowhere stood this Mexican. "Señor! Buenos Dias.....Señor!" He startled us. Who'd ever expect to come across anyone in the middle of no where. "Buenos Dias," I said. He looked at Mark and nodded....."Leetle one." Mark nodded. "Welcome to Chihuahua!" I asked him what he wanted. He said he only wanted to pass the time of day and to collect the taxes for trespassing. I flipped my rifle. He didn't back off or even blink an eye. "This is free land mister," I said. "You would shoot Miguel? Miguel is your friend." "You do not put such a high value on your life.....huh amigo?" "It's such a beautiful gun," said Miguel. He laughed. "More beautiful then the three that are pointing to your back, amigo." He told us he was patrõn of this land and if we wanted to cross it we had to pay. I told him this was open Mexican land and nobody owned it. "Si.....but still you must pay.....just a little for your safety." It was clear they were bandits. He then grabbed a hold of my rifle. We stood there for maybe a couple seconds just looking at each other. I then released my hold. I asked him if he was going to leave us out here. He then took my rifle by the barrel and swung it at me hitting me in the throat with the stock of the rifle. I fell to the ground. Mark rushed
to my side. Miguel pulled Mark away from me. Mark kept fighting. "Stop it or I will kill him right now," said Miguel. Mark calmed down some. "No.....please," said Mark. I was stripped to the waist, tied to a tree, and left to die under the scorching sun by a group of Mexican bandidos. They divvied out my hat, boots and shirt. They planned on taking everything, including Mark.
Lazaro took Mark and went on ahead. They made camp for the night. Lazaro was telling Mark a story when the others caught up. As soon as Mark saw Miguel he ran over to him. "Please.....where's my Pa?" "Please!" Begged Mark. Just then Ramos yelled to Lazaro that he brought him the gringo's shirt. Mark heard him and ran, yelling....."Give me that! That's my Pa's!" He tried taking it from them but to no avail. He then ran back to Miguel and begged him to tell him where I was. He told Mark he would take care of him now. Mark was crying. "You killed him!" "You killed him!" "Be brave leetle one" He told Mark to fix the fire.
The sun was beating down on me. I was hot, sweating
and suffering as I tired from this heat. Not to mention how bad my throat hurt and how dry it was. That made it even worst. I was slowly working the ropes on the branch they had me tied to. Hoping they would break. I was exhausted. I had to get loose. This was my only hope. Maybe by some chance I could move on and find my son. I finally managed to break the ropes. I fell to the ground. My throat was hurting really bad. I used my teeth to untie the ropes as I started on my journey. I walked barefooted across the desert. I was tired, I had no time to waste. The thought of finding my son is what kept me goin'. I must have walked most of the night. Not taking much time to rest. It was morning when I collapsed. I managed to get back up and again started on my journey. I made my way to a small village. As I entered the village I collapsed. I couldn't go any father.
The town folks just stood there looking at me. Lucky for me a girl by the name of Maria came along when she did. She had some of the town folks take me to her grandfathers. Maria had her grandfather take a look at me. He noticed my throat. She then went and got me a drink. Her grandfather wanted to know who I was. I tried to tell them but I couldn't talk. Maria then went and got some medicine for her father to put on my throat. The rest did me good. I couldn't talk but I motioned with my hands about my throat and the man who scarred me. "Miguel.....the patrõn," she guessed. "The beast!" Said Maria. He had been here two years ago. He told the village they had to pay if they wanted to live in peace. Her grandfather said no. So Miguel cut his tongue out. He took everything they had. He comes to the village looking for her. He says 
Maria is his woman. The people in the village do not like her because of this, but there's nothing she could do. I tried seeing if they had a gun. I made motion with my hands. "You want to kill him to?" Asked Maria. I nodded. "It is no use.....we have nothing. Miguel took all our guns two years ago." She told me to rest.
Several days had passed. The town folks wanted me to leave. They felt I brought evil to them. I got out of bed. Maria insisted that I still needed to rest. I could talk a little.....a loud whisper. I told her I needed to talk to them. They didn't want to hear what I had to say. They were scared. They didn't want their tongues cut out like Maria's grandfather. "I came to Mexico with my son. Miguel robbed me. He left me to die." "He's still got my son and I want him back!" "Miguel has his son! Don't you understand that's why he must wait here!" Yelled Maria. "I need a gun. Has anybody got a gun?" I asked. She tried talking to them. But nothing. She apologized for them and said that they were scared. "If you fight Miguel.....you do it alone," said Maria.
I was disgusted. I didn't know what I was going to do. I needed a gun. I decided to get some air. I stood in the door way. The old man came up to me and tapped me on 
the shoulder. He handed me something wrapped in an old cloth. It was a gun. A really old gun. There was no ammunition for it. A gun without bullets isn't much good. Just then Miguel and his bandidos rode into town shooting up the place. They left Mark to tend to the horses and they headed for the Cantina. Mark sat himself down on the ground. I threw a rock at his boot trying to get his attention. He just looked. I threw another rock. He looked around. He saw me. He was surprised. I shushed him by putting my finger over my mouth. I motioned for him to come to me. He came running. It was so good to hold my boy back in my arms again.
I came up with a plan to try and get my rifle. Mark went inside of the Cantina and told Angelo his horse had gone lame. Angelo fell for it. While Mark kept Angelo's attention I snuck up behind him and hit him with the the pistol the old man gave me, killing him. I then took his gun. While Mark was in the Cantina he took note of where my rifle was laying. "Pa your rifle is on the table nearest the door," said Mark. I told him to wait there as I approached the Cantina.
Maria had to go work. She worked at the Cantina. Maria was dancing for Miguel. He was so drunk
that he couldn't stay on his feet. He had to sit down. He sat at the table where my rifle was lying. Maria saw me outside the door and lured Miguel far enough away from my rifle. She too got out of the way. I surprised them by charging in, getting off one shot with Angelo's pistol, before getting my hands on my rifle. I then shot and killed the other two. Mark ran in and I held him. We were both relieved this ordeal was over.
After a good nights rest we were getting ready to head out. I told Maria I wished there was something I could to do to repay her and her grandfather. "You risked your life for us.....you got rid of the patrõn, that is enough. We are the ones who are grateful." said Maria. "Vaya Con Dios senor McCain!"
piddlin' stuff.....Chuck almost suffered the same fate twice — once in "The Rifleman" in
'The Vaqueros' — he was stripped to the waist, tied to a tree, and left to die under a scorching sun by a group of Mexican bandidos ―and in "Branded" ~ 'Fill No Glass for Me' ― he was stripped to the waist, tied to a tree, and left to die under a scorching sun by a group of Indian warriors.
This episode sure reminds me of 'Waste' in a lot of ways! Except Micah is up to his neck in trouble & Lucas doesn't go around shirtless most of the episode!
Darn!!!!! ☺
Martin Landau played Miguel, the patrõn. He did an excellent 
job in this episode!
He also starred with Chuck in "Branded" in 'This Stage of Fools'
Remember him from "Mission: Impossible" as Rollin Hand and Commander John Koenig in "Space: 1999?"
He will be starring in a new 2005 - TV Series called "The Evidence" which will start by presenting all the evidence and then try to deconstruct the crime. Also, the movie based on the novel "Walk Two Moons" - 2005
He was Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Mr. Spock on the TV series "Star Trek". When Landau later left "Mission: Impossible", his replacement was Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock).
Ziva Rodann played Maria. Cutie pa-tootie isn't she?
She was born in Haifa, Palestine. She was Miss Israel of 1957.
She played Nefertiti on the TV series "Batman."
She starred in "The Courage of Black Beauty" with Johnny Crawford in 1957, before "The Rifleman."
Vladimir Sokoloff played the grandfather. The man who had his tongue cut out by Miguel.
He also played an old man in the movie "The Magnificent Seven."
A familiar character actor of Russian heritage, he found himself very busy with dozens of roles in many popular American films, ranging from Russian to Chinese, Mexican, and Italian characters.
Than Wyenn played Ramos. He took Lucas' boots.
He has starred in many of the TV classics such as "Gunsmoke" ~ "Wanted Dead or Alive" ~ "Have Gun Will Travel" ~ "Stagecoach West" just to name a few. He had a reoccurring role in "Zorro" as Licenciado Pina. He also did voices for the animated TV series "The New Adventures of Huck Finn"
Roberto Contreras played Angelo. He took Lucas' hat. He the one that Mark lured out of the Cantina by telling him his horse has gone lame.
He played Pedro - a regular on "The High Chaparral"
He later appeared with Martin Landau on three of the "Mission: Impossible" episodes. He played in the movie "The Magnificent Seven" as a villager.
Pepe Hern as Abuelito Lazaro. He's the one who took Mark on ahead. He was given Lucas' shirt. He also was in another episode of "The Rifleman" ~ 'The Waste' part 1 & 2 as Sleeper.
He was a priest in the movie "Joe Kidd" He too was in "The Magnificent Seven"
He was born in Spain.
*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with 
