The episode opens up with Mark capturing a hawk in one of his rabbit traps. For some reason, Mark keeps the hawk as he checks on other traps in the area. On the next trap, Mark is approached by a man holding a large piece wood and aiming right at Mark. He tells Mark not to move and swings away. But his target is a rattlesnake that was at Mark's feet. Mark takes the stranger, we will learn later that his name is Walt Hake, back to their ranch to meet his Pa and a decent supper.
Meanwhile in North Fork, a man named Eli Flack is eyeing a wanted poster with the name of Reed Young. Eli is a bounty hunter that plays by his own rules and brings back the wanted person usually dead than alive. When Lucas rides to town and see Fleck looking for the wanted man, he reads the poster and believes that the man at his ranch that claims to be Walt Hake is the man Reed Young on the poster. But because the man saved Mark's life, Lucas wants Walt to turn himself in to Micah before Flack get wind of where he is located. But Fleck is smarter than he looks.
An enjoyable show that is classic 'Rifleman' episode from beginning to end. Johnny Crawford gets a plate full in this episode as he basically carries the show for most of the time. And lets not forget about the hawk. It will lead the episode to a great end.