The Rifleman

Lucas McCain and his son Mark arrive in North Fork, New Mexico. Looking to start a new life, they come across a ranch to their liking, which is for sale. Lucas enters a Turkey Shoot in hopes of winning the down payment for the ranch. Jim Lewis, the man who runs North Fork, has bet on Vernon, a young gun he brought in, to win. When talk of Lucas reputation back in the Nations circulates around town, Mr. Lewis gets nervous and he makes trouble for Lucas by threatening Marks life.

Lucas is forced to give refuge to Will Fulton, a young bank robber, who was injured while saving Marks life. While staying at the McCain ranch Will gets a taste of a life better than the one hes been leading. Hes met a girl and grows tired of a life on the run. Will this young man have a change of heart before his brother returns for him and the stolen money?

Marks uncle, Johnny Gibb, a big time rodeo rider, comes to visit. While Mark idolizes his uncle, Lucas discovers that Johnny is on the run from the law for an Express Office Robbery. Stacy has a bronco named Lucifer, that nobodys been able to ride for 15 seconds. Alvah, wanting to humble the almighty Mr. Stacy, asks Johnny if hed ride Lucifer, so that he and the townsfolk could bet that Johnny would ride Lucifer for 30 seconds. Johnny agrees and then makes a deal with Stacy to throw the ride for $500.00. After spending time with Mark, Johnny decides to give the ride his best and then turn himself in to Marshal Torrance.

When an Italian Count arrives in North Fork, his strange attire attracts the attention of Groder, a town bully. Groder trying to have fun with this stranger, destroys some of the Counts currency, mocks him, and tries to humiliate him. Eventually the Count challenges Groder to a duel and asks Lucas to be his Second. They meet at dawn and the Count, the offended party, brings his single shot dueling pistols, something Groder is unaccustomed to. Lucas as second must see that all rules of the duel are adhered to.

Rebecca Snipe is returning to North Fork after a long visit away. Before her stage left, she over hears a man saying hes going to North Fork to kill a big man with a big mouth. Upon Rebeccas arrival in North Fork, Mark is smitten with her and gets it in his head to play matchmaker between her and his pa. Thinking Lucas has intentions on their sister, the Snipe brothers come looking for Lucas to see if he measures up to their standard of being good enough for her.

Dan Willard is filling in as temporary marshal while Micah is away. Some Texas cowhands are in North Fork looking for some fun and relaxation, but Dan keeps coming down hard on them. Dans father tells Lucas that he feels Dan is trying to prove himself as a man to compensate from being dropped from West Point Academy because of his poor eyesight. The Texas cowhands have had enough of being pushed around when Marshal Dan posts an ordinance that all visitors must check their guns at the Marshals office. Now, theyre out to cause some real trouble for Dan.

Lucas and Mark return from a cattle sale when their stagecoach is robbed by three outlaws led by sharpshooter Johnny Cotton (Vic Morrow). Lucas sends Mark on in the stagecoach while he goes after the outlaws on foot without his rifle.

Ward Haskins guns down Joe Flecker, who has evidence that could be used to blackmail him. Haskins thinks the information was given to Lucas, since he brought Flecker to the doctor before he died. Stirred up by Haskins behavior, Lucas goes through Fleckers things, finding a wanted poster for Haskins in the sole of Fleckers boot. He also finds Doc Burrage drinking. Doc is discouraged because three children have died of an anthrax epidemic that he has the new serum for, but nobody is willing to allow him to administer it in time. Haskins rides out to the ranch and is bitten by Fleckers horse, which is now believed to have anthrax. Mark overhears about how anthrax always causes death and is worried because he had bitten by Fleckers horse, also.

Wes Carney and his wife Clair want to settle down and they figure North Fork might do fine. Wes is a well known gunfighter, who has promised Clair that he would hang up his guns for good. The Carneys want to live a simple, honest life and the Feed and Grain Store, which is up for sale, seems like it might work for them. Carneys reputation and the news that hes settling down brings troublemakers to North Fork. Lucas is the only man willing to stand as deputy with Micah. After Lucas tells the Carneys a story, Clair releases Wes of his promise and the three men take on the troublemakers. After the showdown, Clair announces that Wes will be taking the Sheriffs position he was offered in another town, if its still available.

Aaron Pelsers wagon train came across a pair of young boys on a buck board heading west and invited them to join the train. When he found out that one of the boys was actually a girl and the two claimed to be headed to Yuma to get married, Pelser and his crowd force them to be married in North Fork. The wagon train folks want to throw a shivaree, which may have been innocent enough except for two reasons. The first reason being that the couple does not count it as their wedding because they want to be wed by the grooms father in Yuma. The second reason is that Chet Packard keeps pushing things too far, beyond the spirit of a friendly shivaree.

U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart arrives in North Fork in search of renegade Indians suspected of the brutal killing of a Texas Ranger and his family, but the townspeople are suspicious of him when they discover that he too is an Indian.

Lucas puts his life in jeopardy when he agrees to testify in a murder case where the first witness was killed before he could testify, and the killer is still at large.

Lucas welcomes his old friend Tom Birch, who once saved his life, unaware that the man is now a bank robber who is on the run with his gang.

Young Mark McCain is eager to help lawman Jay Jefferson, who has arrived in North Fork intent on killing an outlaw for the reward, whether he is the right man or not.

Young Mark manages to capture a hawk, but then falls into danger from a rattlesnake. When a stranger comes to his rescue, the grateful Mark invites the man home, unaware that he is on the run from the law.

The McCains try to be tolerant of their embittered neighbor Abel MacDonald, who tels Lucas to keep off his land and wont allow his son to become friends with Mark, but they decide hes gone too far when he wont allow his injured boy to get medical treatment.

When his employer begins to suspect him of embezzlement, bookkeeper Asa Manning decides to hire a professional gunman to take care of the problem.

Lucas McCain gives blood to save a dying man and is surprised by Marshal Torrances odd behavior toward the man. Then three men arrive from a nearby town and demand custody of the stranger.

When renegade Apaches wound Lucas and kidnap Mark, Marshal Torrance joins with U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart to form a rescue posse.

When a rancher dies after the bank forecloses the mortgage on his property, his son blames the banker for his fathers death.

A group of outlaws devise a plan to get rid of Lucas so that they can take over the town of North Fork.

Newly arrived gunslinger Al Walker throws a mammoth party at the saloon, keeping acting Marshal Ben Waller busy until Lucas is forced to intervene.

Gavin and Ezra Martin think that Lucas killed their son Clemmie while taking part in a train robbery, and Lucas refuses to tell them what really happened.

Town character Brett Conway blackmails Lucas with the knowledge that a young couple Lucas rescued are suffering from yellow fever.

Mark is kidnapped as he and his father try to protect Banker Hamiltons gold.

Lucas tries to do a good deed for the old town drunk but it backfires when the drunks son believes he inherited Lucas ranch.

Lucas becomes involved in a battle between an aspiring writer and a cocky, bragging trail boss.

A famous buffalo hunter tries to goad Lucas into a shooting match.

Mark finds himself in grave danger when two unscrupulous detectives searching for a mans long-lost son claim that it is Mark.

After a young stablehand kills a notorious gunslinger, he is baffled by the hostility of the townspeople about giving him the reward.

An elderly couple moves to North Fork under an assumed name to hide the fact that they are the parents of a vicious killer. The plan backfires when the son shows up at their home.

A condemned killer being transported by train murders a marshal and takes Mark hostage.

Lucas and Marshal Torrance get into trouble with the Army when they try to help a wounded young soldier who deserted.

An old friend of Lucass returns to town in the company of a shady gambler and is accused of cheating at cards.

Shotgun man John Beaumont, who Lucas sent to prison, returns with vengeance on his mind.

To keep his invalid mother happy, an outlaw forces Lucas and Mark to go along with a masquerade that he is the owner of Lucass ranch.

When Lucas hires an ex-con as a ranch hand, the man is the first one under suspicion when a robbery and murder occur in the area.

Lucas finds himself involved in murder when he gallantly steps to the aid of a beautiful woman.

Lucas is out for vengeance when Mark is used as a pawn in a bank robbery scheme.

Seven condemned murderers escape and take over the town of North Fork.

Lucas tracks an escaped prisoner to a town that turns out to be run by the gunmans brother, notorious for shooting people in the back.

A former army captain comes to North Fork to kill the man who shot down his son in a gunfight - Lucas McCain.

The widow of a bandit killed by Lucas plots a grotesque revenge.

Lucas and Mark attempt to reform a con-man.

Lucas and Mark try to persuade a persecuted young mute to return stolen money.

A doctor seeks revenge on the man he blames for ruining his practice.

Lucas and Marshal Torrance run in trouble transporting a captured killer back to face trial.

Lucas thinks he has seen a ghost when a young man, eerily similar to a man he killed in the Civil War, challenges him to a gunfight.

Mark heads for Wyoming to search for Lucas, whos on the trail of a gang illegally selling weapons to the Indians. (Part 2 of 2)

In a ghost town, Lucas, Mark and Micah tangle with the Newman family and learn the secret of the towns 20-year-old mystery of a lost gold mine.

Two ex-Confederate officers seek revenge on Lucas, who served as prison guard during their internment.

Lucas, accused of horse theft, struggles to clear himself before a lynch mob catches up.

Lucas tries to get help when he is shot after witnessing a murder.

Trouble brews at Lucass when a whisky salesman and a gunfighter fall for the same woman.

Lucas recognizes Dr. Simon Battle as an ex-gunslinger with whom he once traded shots.

A bandit imprisons Lucas and Mark.

Mark and Milly are held prisoner in her general store when two gunmen attempt a daring robbery.

Mark goes to work for Will Temple, a badly scarred and very mysterious rancher.

Lucas tries to dissuade a latter-day knight from rushing into battle.

Stubborn Grandpa Fogarty is Lucass main roadblock as he tries to get young Woody Fogarty to attend school.

Lucas tries to stop embittered John Holliver from venting his wrath on the people who expelled him from town years before.

Mark finds himself the unwilling companion of gunman Carl Avery.

The Queen-to-be of France hides out in Northfork.

Lucass old Army pal settles in North Fork with his deaf daughter.

The pangs of first love are painful for Mark: the object of his affections has eyes for another.

Sammy Davis Jr. stars as Tip Corey, son of a man allegedly murdered in North Fork.

Mark learns that the prisoner Micah is escorting to the gallows is the man that saved his life three years previously.

Mark befriends singer-banjoist Lafayette Bly, a blind man with an acute sense of hearing—and a very strong grip.

No ones more surprised than Micah when newcomer Leota Carraway claims hes her long-lost husband and the father of her child.

The town of North Fork becomes a haven for outlaws when suave Ben Judson smooth-talks his way into the marshals job.

A head wound wipes out Lucass memory, leaving him with only one clue: hes wearing an outlaws gun.

Marshal Torrance is heading home from a cattle sale with Lucas and Mark when the old lawman mysteriously disappears. They trace him to a nearby Mexican ghost town. (Part 1 of 2)

Red-headed Lou Mallory arrives in North Fork and soon arouses the townpeoples suspicions.

A gunslinger rides into North Fork for a meeting with Lucas.

An assassination plot unfolds as four gunmen disguised as cavalrymen enter North Fork. Their target: Sen. Jim Borden. Their weapon: a Gatling gun.

Fast-draw artist Wade Randall is less than anxious to display his prowess.

Mark blames himself for a friends accidental death.

Lucass self-confidence begins to slip away when he misses an easy shot.

A peddler is implicated in a series of murders.

A Japanese nobleman seeks revenge when his servant is insulted.

A snake crawls into Lucass bed, and Mark must lure it away before it strikes.

Lucas is baffled when the marshal of a neighboring town refuses to hold a gambler who just attempted murder.

New arrival Mario Arsatti becomes very friendly with Lucas, but this turns out to be merely pleasure before business: hes been hired to kill Lucas.

The notoriously lazy Jackman brothers discover their mortgage has been foreclosed.