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| Episode No. | 15 |
| Episode Title | The Pet |
| Season | 1 |
| Guest Stars | Robert J. Wilke - Edgar Buchanan - Bill Erwin - Han Jon Norman |
| Airdate | 01/06/59 |
| Writer | Ken Kolb |
| Director | Joseph H Lewis |
| Synopsis | Lucas and Mark are exposed to a deadly disease when they adopt a stray horse. 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 kid's die of Doc?" I asked. "Anthrax," he said. "We've got an epidemic starting." He had a new cure, a serum, but folks wait 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's 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. Episode Summary written by Margie Straub of riflemanconnors.com |
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