Matched Pair
HICKOK IS HEADED FOR A SHOWDOWN WITH THE MAN WHO WEARS THE MATE OF HIS NAVY COLT REVOLVER, A MAN WHOSE SKILL WITH THE GUN EQUALS HIS...
A man named Marcus D. Enright -- known as the judge -- is on trial in Fort Laramie. Landowners accuse him of trying to steal their land. A man named Bass testified at the trial saying Enright tried to buy his land at a fraction of what it cost and that when he (Bass) refused, Enright's "thugs" tried to run him off, burning his house and scattering his stock. Bass insisted that Enright stole his land because of "the railroad that is coming." Later that night, Enright's daughter Clara meets with Charlie Bass in her father's barn. They run off together, taking with them a ledger which contained Enright's unscrupulous transactions. Enright is furious when he discovers Clara missing and orders his henchman to track the lovers down and to bring his daughter and the ledger safely back.
In
Sweetwater, Emma and the riders prepare a surprise birthday party for Teaspoon.
But celebrations are cut short when Hickok receives a message from an old
friend in the form of a round piece of tin shot right through the middle.
Sam offers to accompany him when he meets his friend but Jimmy says it
was "personal." The man who sent him the message is no other
than Enright's henchman Brad. Apparently, he and Jimmy grew up together
in Judge Enright's home, where they were taught everything they had to
know about guns. Judge Enright was also the one who gave Jimmy his Navy
Colt revolver, with a matching pair given to Brad. A demanding teacher,
the judge made Jimmy and Brad practice with their guns everyday saying
"a fancy gun never saved a man with a slow hand or a nervous eye."
Jimmy is clearly bothered by his appointment with Brad. Though they grew up together, there seems to be no love lost between the two men. Brad came to Jimmy for help in tracking down Clara. He tells Jimmy the girl was kidnapped. During the flashbacks, Jimmy can be seen following the judge's daughter like a puppy, clearly besotted with her. Clara tried to teach Jimmy to read, but Enright stopped them by burning the book -- Robinson Crusoe -- that Clara gave to Jimmy. When Jimmy leaves with Brad and his gang, Teaspoon tells him to be careful. "There ain't no face there I'd trust my back to."
(Flashback) Jimmy and Brad try to outdo each other, shooting at various objects when the judge comes, furious at the two for treating the guns like toys. He criticizes their attitude, telling them they don't shoot for fun, they shoot to kill...
Brad tried to get Hickok to go back with him and work for the judge. He begins asking Hickok about how much he gets delivering the mail and tried to make Jimmy envious of his nice clothes, saddle and boots. Brad tells Jimmy he made a mistake about leaving the judge's home but Jimmy counters saying Brad should be thankful because the way the judge was acting one of them would have been dead.
Jimmy was referring to the day the judge forced him and Brad to draw on each other. Brad shot at Jimmy, though no bullets came out while Jimmy dropped to the ground unable to shoot his friend.
Back in the station, Emma arrives from town with a package for Jimmy.
Teaspoon reads the return address and realizes that it came from Clara
Enright. 
Jimmy, Brad and the gang find Clara and Charlie Bass. Jimmy offers to try to sneak Clara when it's dark but Brad insists on taking the Bass brothers out. A shoot-out follows and Charlie and his siblings are killed. Jimmy runs after Clara who slaps Jimmy, telling him she trusted him. Jimmy, of course, is confused by his childhood friend's reaction to her rescue. When she was told that Charlie Bass was gone, Clara turned on Brad. She pointed a gun at him but in despair ended up killing herself instead. When Jimmy goes after Brad, his men try to shoot him but Brad says "a man like that deserves to die fighting."
Teaspoon, Kid and Lou do some investigating. They find out that Enright is on trial for landgrabbing. Apparently, Enright is interested in the transcontinental railroad. In Fort Laramie, Brad tells Enright Clara is dead but doesn't tell him that his daughter killed himself. He told the judge Bass shot Clara.
Jimmy returns home to Sweetwater. He opens the package and Teaspoon reads the letter accompanying the ledger. In the letter, Clara tells Jimmy about her father's crimes. Kid tells Jimmy the ledger lists all the people the judge has been bribing and that it was enough to convict him. The next day, Jimmy, Buck, Ike and the Kid ride out to Fort Laramie. But Brad's men are ready for them and they have strict instructions not to let anyone through. A gunfight ensues and the four riders are trapped. Buck and Ike take the dangerous task of going around a ravine to get around the men shooting at them so Hickok and Kid could go ahead. But Brad and some of his men are still waiting for them. Brad and Jimmy strike a deal. They draw on each other and Brad loses. Before he dies Brad tells his friend he didn't take Jimmy could beat him.
Previous || Next || Days Of Our Lives || Feedback