Gilby Collins is fascinated with guns, but his pa, Cheyenne Bodie's old friend ex-sheriff Frank, isn't happy about it, mainly because a bullet in the spine put him in a wheelchair for life. So there's conflict between him and his son. Then there are other family conflicts; it's basically the Crawfords and the Kinseys against the Collinses. Pay attention; this gets complicated.
When Gilby bests arrogant Pat Kinsey in a carnival shooting contest and afterwards kills Pat in a fair gunfight, Pat's father Sam teams with Lige Crawford and his son Alfred to make sure Gilby hangs for what they're calling murder, despite the fact that the only witness, young carnival worker Nita, can testify that Gilby shot in self-defense. Cheyenne Bodie saves Gilby from a lynching party, but instead of going to the next town to turn himself in, Gilby and Nita head for the Mexican border. Crawford and Kinsey pack up the party supplies and follow; Cheyenne joins the posse to keep an eye on it, but the others don't trust him so put him under guard.
For a while the young fugitives manage to stay ahead of them. Determined to talk some sense into Gilby, Cheyenne escapes the posse and uses his expert scouting skills to find Gilby and Nita on his own. However, when his last-ditch efforts to turn the kids around appear to fail, he lets them know it's their decision and reluctantly withdraws. But his involvement isn't over. The few remaining members of the posse ambush Cheyenne, and Lige Crawford demands retribution for what he sees as Cheyenne Bodie's coddling of a dangerous duo. After Sam Kinsey ties shirtless Cheyenne to a dead tree, Crawford commands his son Alfred to get his whip and do the dastardly deed. Alfred shows some gumption by refusing, an act of charity Cheyenne rewards when, after being rescued by Gilby and Nita, he forces all but Alfred to strip to their skivvies and take a dip in the lake before heading back to town 30 miles away on foot. When Gilby offers just to shoot them, Cheyenne replies wryly, "Better not, I guess; might go against you at the trial."
Trevor Bardette delivers as the nasty-tempered Lige Crawford and Don Haggerty is good as the vengeful Sam Kinsey; both actors are staples of that era's action series. Anne Whitfield has come a long way since she played lovestruck teenager Johnny Dembro in "The Storm Riders" (Season One). In this episode, she's blond and more experienced but still portraying a sweet, unassuming young woman, so grateful to have met Gilby Collins, who treated her with respect; it's no doubt the first time in her young life someone called her a "lady." Richard Evans as Gilby is a gawky but engaging complement to her Nita. Of course, the center of it all is Clint Walker's stalwart Cheyenne Bodie; without his mature, steadying influence, Gilby and Nita's future would not have been as bright as the ending indicates it will be.
When Gilby bests arrogant Pat Kinsey in a carnival shooting contest and afterwards kills Pat in a fair gunfight, Pat's father Sam teams with Lige Crawford and his son Alfred to make sure Gilby hangs for what they're calling murder, despite the fact that the only witness, young carnival worker Nita, can testify that Gilby shot in self-defense. Cheyenne Bodie saves Gilby from a lynching party, but instead of going to the next town to turn himself in, Gilby and Nita head for the Mexican border. Crawford and Kinsey pack up the party supplies and follow; Cheyenne joins the posse to keep an eye on it, but the others don't trust him so put him under guard.
For a while the young fugitives manage to stay ahead of them. Determined to talk some sense into Gilby, Cheyenne escapes the posse and uses his expert scouting skills to find Gilby and Nita on his own. However, when his last-ditch efforts to turn the kids around appear to fail, he lets them know it's their decision and reluctantly withdraws. But his involvement isn't over. The few remaining members of the posse ambush Cheyenne, and Lige Crawford demands retribution for what he sees as Cheyenne Bodie's coddling of a dangerous duo. After Sam Kinsey ties shirtless Cheyenne to a dead tree, Crawford commands his son Alfred to get his whip and do the dastardly deed. Alfred shows some gumption by refusing, an act of charity Cheyenne rewards when, after being rescued by Gilby and Nita, he forces all but Alfred to strip to their skivvies and take a dip in the lake before heading back to town 30 miles away on foot. When Gilby offers just to shoot them, Cheyenne replies wryly, "Better not, I guess; might go against you at the trial."
Trevor Bardette delivers as the nasty-tempered Lige Crawford and Don Haggerty is good as the vengeful Sam Kinsey; both actors are staples of that era's action series. Anne Whitfield has come a long way since she played lovestruck teenager Johnny Dembro in "The Storm Riders" (Season One). In this episode, she's blond and more experienced but still portraying a sweet, unassuming young woman, so grateful to have met Gilby Collins, who treated her with respect; it's no doubt the first time in her young life someone called her a "lady." Richard Evans as Gilby is a gawky but engaging complement to her Nita. Of course, the center of it all is Clint Walker's stalwart Cheyenne Bodie; without his mature, steadying influence, Gilby and Nita's future would not have been as bright as the ending indicates it will be.
