"The Rifleman" - Home Ranch

The Rifleman
"Welcome to the McCain Ranch
'Home Ranch'
Episode 2

Our ranch is 4 miles south of North Fork, and today is moving in day. Mark and I are both so excited to finally be setting up our home. I stopped the wagon in front of the house. “Well, how does it look now that we’ve bought it, son?” I asked with a smile on my face. Mark stated that it looked fine with a smile in his voice. So, we went to work unloading the wagon.

Two cowboys were riding the range when they saw us pull up in front of the house. Thy decided they needed to show me the error of my ways and let me know I wasn’t welcome. “Looks like you folks plan to stay,” one of the cowboys stated. At first, I thought they were just being neighborly, so I smiled at them and introduced myself and my boy to them. I told them that Mr. Dunlap had passed away back east and I just bought the ranch. Billy Lehigh and Sam Montgomery were the cowboys’ names, and they asked me if I had the deed yet.

That’s when I got suspicious. I wanted to know why they were so interested in the deed. It didn’t take long for me to find out. The cowboys were employed by Oat Jackford, who had a working arrangement with old man Dunlap. “And when Oat Jackford has an arrangement, it don’t change until he says so.” Billy added that he didn’t think he was going to say so.

I continued working on unpacking the wagon, telling them I owned the land proper and legal, and I wasn’t going anywhere. They wouldn’t leave me alone and I told them that I was in possession. That’s when Billy fired a shot at a bag of flour and caused it to go everywhere. I immediately looked at Mark, wanting to get him out of this situation that was beginning to grow dangerous. So as I continued my talk with the two cowboys, I lifted Mark down. I told them I would go talk to Mr. Jackford myself. They told me that Oat didn’t give up anything unless he had too. “And so far, he hasn’t had to.”

At this point, I started over toward the porch where my rifle was. Sam threw a rope around me. My brave boy ran for the gun. Since we think so much alike, I knew he would come through for me and I turned to grab it, but Sam suddenly galloped his horse away, forcing me down on my belly. Then he dragged me across the range.

Mark didn’t want me hurt, so he reached down for the rifle. Unfortunately, Billy caught him before he grabbed it and reached for his gun. “Let it be.” Mark just looked at him, not moving his hand. “Walk around it,” he ordered. Billy jumped off and grabbed the gun. Mark was worried about me and Billy told him that I would be all right, that I needed to calm down a little.

Billy started admiring my gun. He commented on how easy it was to fire, than demonstrated the fact by shooting holes into one of the windows. “Cute, but uh…not practical,” he stated as he threw Sam the rifle and started firing with his gun. I’m guessing they were trying to show me how powerful and mean they were. I asked them if they were going to keep the rifle, and they told me they were.

If those two cowboys thought that roughing me up a little would convince me to leave, they were sure surprised when I went to Mark and put my arm around him announcing, “This is our home. We’re staying.”

That’s when they decided to get tougher and really show me they meant business. Sam suggested to Billy that there was some coal oil in the house. I couldn’t believe they would stoop so low! Mark and I stood there with sorrowful looks on our face as we watched Billy go inside and set it on fire. We soon saw black smoke coming out the windows. Sam announced that I would soon learn about Mr. Jackford. “Mr. Jackford isn’t a bad man. He’s just a little narrow-minded when it comes to giving up things he’s got.” I didn’t know what they would do if I didn’t go along with them, so I simply told them I understood so they would leave.
Mark and I stood together as we watched our home burn. I had a discouraging look on my face, but Mark’s face showed confusion and disgust. He couldn’t believe our home was going up in smoke.

I walked across the burn and ashes, trying to take everything in. I threw a can down in disgust and walked to the wagon, banging my fist against it.

With our new home burned to the ground, Mark was upset and discouraged. "Pa, it's just not fair!” He cried in his little ten year old voice. "We ride half way across the country looking for the right place, and when we finally got it...well look what happened!" Suddenly another board fell from the house. I turned and closed my eyes, knowing I needed to stay strong for my boy and mustering up the strength to do so. "Looks to me like the Lord is dead set against us having our own place'!" Mark was practically in tears.

His words shook me, and I realized I had to restore his faith in the Lord. So instead of comforting him like my whole being wanted to do, I simply stated, "Help me saddle up boy. I want to tell you a story.” Mark just sat still, not understanding why I was wanting to tell him a story at a time like this. “Come on," I ordered sternly. As we started saddling my horse, I told the story:

"A long time ago in a country so far west, it's almost due east of here, lived a big stock man with a beard so long it reached down to his belly button. His name was Job. Now Job had seven sons and seven daughters, over seven thousand head of fine cattle and sheep, not to mention a considerable amount of camels. Now Job was top dog with the Lord because he was so hard working, righteous. The Lord never lost a chance to brag on him...made a point to tell the devil about the old man...about how he hated evil, temptation and, most important, how he never lost his faith in God. Well the devil swished his tail and laughed and he allowed that Job was such a good man because everything was going his way. Just give him some trouble and he'd switch sides in a hurry. Well the Lord thought this over and then he said he'd give the devil a hard dollar against a penny's worth of brimstone that Job would keep faith with his maker no matter what trials were put upon him. Well the devil sent some rustlers on to the old man's stock. Then he called up a big wind that knocked down his house and killed all his children. The old man's beard turned white with grief. But he held stead fast. So the devil reared back and saddled him all over with festers and boils. Mark, Job was a miserable as a man could be. He got himself a piece of broken jug, sat out in the corral doctorin’ his boils and shaken ashes over his head and bewailing his faith, wondering why the Lord has forsaken him until finally three of his friends came up, and they told Job that wailing about the situation only made it worse and it looked to them like he sinned somewhere along the line and why didn't he repent. Job jumped right back at them. He said he'd repent when he had something to repent about. He knew he'd been good and righteous and while he might complain about his life, he had not lost faith with the Lord. ‘Oh that my words were now written and printed in a book, graven with chisel and granite rock forever. For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand beside me later on.’ That's how the old man put it! Well Mark, the devil was plum wore out, so he just tossed in his chips and quit the game. The Lord was so proud of Job that he restored all the old man's children and his house and his camels and sheep and he gave him over twice as many cattle as he had before. And Job lived a hundred and forty years happy as a birddog and finally died being old and full of days."

Mark thought about what I had just said. "Makes our troubles look kind of piddlin' don't it?" I nodded, giving him a gentle smile. "But I guess if we were to come down with boils, we'd know where to put the blame," said Mark.

I laughed. "I don't think Jackford can go quite that far son."

"I guess we're gonna keep this ranch!" Mark said proudly, his faith restored.

So I then told him, "Well I guess we're gonna try!" Mark knew then that we could overcome any kind of obstacle as long as we keep our faith in the Lord and faced them together. My boy made me so proud. He wanted to show me how big he was. I had suggested that he take the wagon into town to stay with the judge, but he begged to stay there and bed down by the stream. I warned him of the dangers, but he reminded me that he was ten years old. I smiled, not wanting to shame him and gave him permission.

I rode out to track the men. Meanwhile, Mark was setting up camp. He started to light a fire, but realized the horses had to be unhitched. Though he had a time at doing it, my son was a real trooper and worked hard, succeeding at his task. When he went to light the fire, it was getting dark and he became a little nervous, but he was determined to make it. As my boy tired to go to sleep, he imagined noises and even thought he saw a cougar in the tree. He grabbed an ax he kept next to him, but the cougar disappeared. Then he imagined a rattlesnake and attacked it with his axe, only to realize that it was only a rope.

Sam was at the camp, and pretty jumpy, afraid I’d sneak up on him. He was sleeping when Billy snuck up to him with my rifle. Sam went back to sleep, my rifle in easy reach if he needed it. But I was experienced at sneaking, and was able to sneak into their camp, regaining my rifle. Billy was saddling his horse when I pointed the rifle at him. “Mr. Billy Lehigh,” I said with a snarl. I tied him and Sam up. I had them lie in their bedrolls so it would look like they were sleeping when the other men would ride in. Pablo rode into camp, and he wanted one of the men to relieve him so he could get some rest. He noticed Billy and Sam were tied up. I approached him with my rifle and tied him up too. Now all I had to do was wait for Jackford.
Jackford and Clyde went looking for the herd. Jackford was upset, because the heard was scattered around and there was no sign of a rider. Clyde suggested maybe the herd got away from the others. "If those boys went to sleep and left my cattle drift, I'll nail their hides to the wall," said Jackford.
Jackford and Clyde rode into their camp, where he found his men tied up. "Well if this ain't somethin'," said Jackford.
"That's far enough. Evenin' Mr. Jackford," I said while holding my rifle on them. Jackford went for his gun and I shot at him. I told Jackford and Clyde to drop their guns and step away. "Old man if you wasn't so slow you'd be wearin' a brokin' wrist,” I stated while flipping my gun.
He asked me what I wanted. I told him who I was and that his two boys tried to push me off my place this morning. "I came up to tell you it can't be done!" He knew right away I was the one who bought the Dunlap Ranch. "I bought it and I plan on keepin' it,” I answered with a determined voice. He asked me how much I wanted for the ranch. "You can't buy it for money, marbles or chalk Mr. Jackford! You’re gonna keep your stock, your men, and your dogs off my property until I tell you different.”
“And if I don’t?” Mr. Jackford asked in a tuff voice.
“I’ll bury ‘em there,” I stated.
He still didn’t seem to believe I could do that, so I shot the cup right out of his hand. Boom! “Maybe I ought to rope and drag you for a while. A mouth full of foxtails might teach you some manners. It taught me!"
Still not quite understanding just how determined I was, Mr. Jackford told me I had my say and I was to get on my horse and ride out of there. "We got another thing to settle,” I announced. “Your BOYS burnt down my house!"
That made him mad.   He questioned one of them on it, and they reported that I was pretty stubborn. "They had no call to burn your house. I'll pay you for your loss. I've got plans for that ranch and I plan to keep 'em." I warned him he’d have trouble, but Jackford told me to get out.
"Not until you build what you burnt down!"   He warned me to shoot him if I had the guts, and I relaxed my rifle, to tell him that I didn’t need the rifle to prove to him who I was.
That’s when Jackford hit me. I fell to the ground. Suddenly, he picked up my rifle and reported he was going to wrap my fancy rifle around a tree. But I wasn’t done yet! I grabbed his leg and knocked him to the ground. We kept hitting each other again and again. We were both tired. He reached out his hand for me to help him up, but he was really planning on hitting me with a rock that was in his other hand. I knew this, and knocked him to the ground again. Suddenly, Clyde picked up the gun and held it on me.
"That's far enough mister!" he warned.
I looked at him for a minute. Then I turned to Jackford. "Well tell him to shoot! If you've got guts enough! You better do it Jackford or I'll be waitin' out in the brush every time you step out the door! I'll kill your stock and I'll burn your barn! I'm gonna pay you back Mr. Jackford! Now what's it gonna be?" I snarled these words at him as I retrieved my rifle and shoved a finger into his face.
"Alright, we'll build you a new house," said Jackford. Jackford walked over to me. "You've got yourself a ranch, mister. Whether you keep it is something else. You step out of line or you make one mistake - your finished! I'll be watchin' and waitin'! Waiting for a reason to come after you with a gun and when I do, I won't be alone. Remember that Mr. McCain!" I rode off.
I went home to my boy, who was already working hard. He had a campfire going and fresh coffee brewing for when I got back. I had been concerned about my boy and wanted to know how his night was. My boy, being a real trooper and brave simply told me everything went fine. “How’d you get along?” I did the same thing. I told him everything went fine.
            As we were talking, Jackford’s men came up with a wagon full of lumber. “Well, where do you want us to unload it, Mr. McCain,” Sam asked. I told him right beside the burn.
            Then I ordered that all the ashes and trash had to be cleaned up today. Sam saluted me and Billy waved to Mark. I told Mark they would be helping us rebuild the house.
            Things were looking up for us! I went to the wagon to let my boy climb on my back, and we rode to the campfire to have ourselves our first breakfast at our new home.

"The McCain's are here to stay!"

The Book of Job

*Sam Peckinpah was the creator of "The Rifleman" and wrote 'The Sharpshooter' — 'Home Ranch'
He wrote & directed 'The Marshal' — 'The Boarding House' — 'The Money Gun' — 'The Babysitter'

piddlin' stuff.....Harold J. Stone played Oat Jackford in this episode of 'Home Ranch'. He was the wealthy cattleman, who had been using the Dunlap Ranch for grazing his cattle, and demanded that Lucas move out. In 'Trail of Hate' he played Ben Stark. He was the older brother and brains of the gang who used Mark as a pawn in a bank robbery scheme. 'The Bullet' as the Marshal who tried to use ballistics to hold a gambler who had attempted murder. The old west just wasn't ready for this kind of evidence.
The initial "J" in Harold's name stood for Jacob.
He is one of those faces you see over and over again from 'The Untouchables' to "The Rifleman". "I tip my Cowgirl hat to you!"

Oat Jackford is later played by Bert Freed in 'The Money Gun.' A rancher suspects his bookkeeper, Asa Manning of embezzlement, and tries to contact a professional gunman to get rid of the problem.
Steve Rowland played Billy Lehigh in 'Home Ranch'.   He was one of Jackford's bullies. He helped burn down the McCain's home.   He played Buddy Link in 'The Coward'. He's the one who beat on Georgie Boy Collins in the saloon and Lucas at his ranch. In both episodes, his initials were B. L. He has appeared in several westerns and movies. He also appeared in "Battle of the Bulge."
Today Steve is a record producer. He lives in London England.
When I asked Steve about his experience working on the set of "The Rifleman," this was his reply....."My experience when shooting those two episodes was a great deal of fun. I had met Chuck Connors before at one of the many parties that I attended in Hollywood back there in the 50s. We hit it off straight away---probably because of our mutual interest in sports. I was into motor racing and he had been a star baseball player. When they started production on "The Rifleman" I was called by the casting director to read for a part on 'Home Ranch.' I got the part. They must have liked my performance because they cast me in 'The Coward' soon after. Chuck and I had a lot of laughs on the set during the shooting. I really can't remember much more. It was too long ago."
"I do remember, however, that I got the chance to meet one of my heroes, Sam Peckinpah." Check our Steve's website — You'll be surprised what all this guy has achieved!
Matthew is our junior reporter here at the ranch. Be sure & check out his interview with Steve on
The McCain Ranch Messageboard. What a great interview it is!
Lee Farr as Sam Montgomery. He was the one who dragged Lucas with the rope. He also was in another episode of "The Rifleman," 'A Friend in Need' as Carl Avery. He's the one who held Mark for ransom.
He had appeared in—"Bonanza"—"Cain's Hundred"—"Emergency!"—"Have Gun, Will Travel"—"Lancer"—"Lawman"—"Mission: Impossible"—"M Squad"—"Perry Mason"—"Richard Diamond, Private Detective"—"SurfSide 6"—"The Invaders"—"The Millionaire"—"The Restless Gun"—"The Rockford Files"—"The Rookies"—"The Walter Winchell File"—"Trackdown"—"Wanted: Dead or Alive
He was a regular on the TV series "The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor" as Det. Lt. James Conway.
Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. appeared in two episodes of "The Rifleman". He played Pablo in 'Home Ranch.' He was one of Jackford's men, the Mexican. He played Luis in 'The Prodigal'. He was Billy St. John's sidekick.
He was a regular on the short lived TV series "Viva Valdez", he played Luis Valdez. A familiar face. I'm sure you've seen him in many shows.
Don Kennedy played Clyde in 'Home Ranch.' He was the Cowboy who rode into camp with Jackford. He also was in another episode of "The Rifleman" - 'Legacy' as Ed the stagecoach driver.
He also appeared with Chuck in "Arrest & Trial."
No wander this guy looked familiar, he has appeared in "The Messenger" ~ "To Hell and Back."   Don is a film and television actor whose career began in the late 1940s with television westerns.

Jack N. Young — Jack has done many of stunts in his day. He worked with some of the best! Sadly Jack went unaccredited in most of his movies/shows. His list of credits is way to far to list. Please checkout IMDB for a list of his credits.
Although Jack is known for his stunts, Jack did a lot of different thing such as Miscellaneous Crew - Casting Department - Production Manager - Actor -Second Unit Director or Assistant Director - Producer

Bobby Somers — has done many of stunts in his day. He worked with some of the best! Sadly Bobby went unaccredited in most of his movies/shows. His list of credits is way to far to list. Please checkout IMDB for a list of his credits.
Although Bobby is known for his stunts, Bobby did a lot of different thing such as Miscellaneous Crew and Acting.
What three things did Lucas mention as examples when he told Jackford he could never buy the 'McCain Ranch?' What other episode did we hear these three things mentioned?
Money, Marbles and Chalk
(written & first recorded by Pop Eckler) 1949

There's an old saying that's been all around
I heard before I could walk
How some's got wealth and some's got health
Others money, marbles and chalk

CHORUS
I've got money, marbles and chalk sweetheart
But I still feel like I am poor
For my money won't spend and my marbles won't roll
And my chalk it won't write anymore

While you were here I was happy and gay
Your presence made me for another one day
But you left me for another one day
Now I feel so alone in a crowd

* Refrain
Money, marbles and chalk is alright
For a miser who loves only gold
But give me a chance to save our romance
For I love you with all of my soul

* Refrain
I walk in the rain and I feel no pain,
I'm lost and I'm lonely and blue.
I can't sleep at night and nothing seems right
And I worry a lot about you.

* Refrain

You've heard Lucas' story, now hear Mark's
Mark's Memories

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