Written by GILBERT RALSTON Directed by CHARLES RONDO Guest Cast THOMAS GOMEZ as Kicking Bear PEG MONDO as Lost Bird KEN SCOTT as Jim Barnett LARRY CHANCE as Many Horses VINTON HAYWORTH as Marcus Sullivan VINCENT ST. CYR as Medicine Man

The Chief's daughter wants Reese

We mostly disliked this episode because none of us were ever amused by Laredo's F-Troop style Indians and this episode was the worst because it spent more time with them.  [Shelly Morrison did bring something more enjoyable to Linda LIttletrees but there's no one like her here.]  The main saving grace of this episode was lots of William Smith but even that couldn't save it for most of us except for a few of the more smitten women in our group.  Chad does a nice little jump on his horse then disappears until the end.  If you like Reese's comic antics even without Chad and Joe stirring the pot, you might like this better than we did.

The basic plot is that Chief Kicking Bear has a wagon train pinned down.  He will  wipe them out unless he gets what he wants from "The Great White Father".  The Captain sends Chad to get the Indian Affairs Commissioner.  [We get to see Peter Brown perform a nice little jump with his horse - no double but then he's gone until the end.]  He sends "young chiefs" Joe and Reese to handle "preliminary negotiations", that is to stall.  He stays to restrain the "swaggering punk" of a wagon master who can't wait to start fighting even though it will start a massacre.

While in the Indian camp, Reese beats Many Horses in several competitions.  Now the Chief's daughter, Lost Bird [should have been Princess Hideous Giggle] wants to marry Reese instead of Many Horses.  Kicking Bear makes that one of his demands.  The Captain tells Reese to play along until the Commissioner gets there.

While Reese is purified for his marriage in the sweatbox, Joe socializes with a lovely young maiden.  Reese is then challenged to more competition by Many Horses.  Reese out dances him then  wins a wrestling match.  He starts to realize that winning is just making him a more desirable husband  He then fakes an arm injury to force Joe to take his place at a knife throwing competition, which he wins.  Then suddenly Reese's leg hurts too much to ride, so Joe wins the horse race.

When the commissioner finally arrives, Reese has convinced Lost Bird that Joe is the hero and she'll get more presents if she marries Joe.  In order to buy Joe out of this dilemma, the Captain offers Lost Bird more presents if she forgets Joe.  She demands and gets Chad's new pearl-handled revolver, Reese's new boots, the Captain's favorite horse and a Conestoga wagon.  However, Joe is forced to stay with the tribe until they can locate a Conestoga.  Reese naturally makes the best of the turned tables to make Joe miserable.

Fan Note:  Robin, who like the NiteOwls, apparently watched too much tv as a kid, remembers Peg Mondo playing exactly the same kind of hideous giggler as a native girl in an episode of McHales Navy.   When you have a talent, make the most of it.  [Mondo also appeared as a comical senorita in an episode of Lawman "The Man Behind the News" but had not yet perfected her giggling.].