Speak No Evil

**Speak No Evil** is episode 4 of season 1, and episode 4 of The Young Riders series as a whole. It follows Ike as he gains the courage to testify against a man he witnessed killing the drivers of a stagecoach, despite the man levying threats against him and his friends.

## Synopsis

When Ike witnesses notorious criminal Burt Nickerson holding up a stagecoach and murdering its passengers, he decies to testify against Nickerson in court. Ike's resolve is tested when Nickerson repeatedly threatens Ike's life as well as the lives of his friends, taking Buck hostage. However, the other riders have Ike's back - Buck is saved, and Ike pins Nickerson for the murder.

## Plot

While doing the mail run, Ike comes across a stagecoach holdup situation. Ike intervenes, shooting two of the perpetrators, but not shooting the one man who is unarmed. Ike attempts to flee with the lady who was riding the stagecoach, the last survivor, but the many quickly picks up a rifle and shoots her off Ike's horse. The man escapes before Ike can gun him down.

Elsewhere, the rest of the riders are fixing a cart when Abigail McPherson, a friend of Emma's, rides up. Jimmy and Cody gawk at her, but it's Lou who Abigail takes an interest in.

Later on, Ike rides back into the station, something clearly eating him. That night, the other riders are woken up by Ike shooting the scarecrow in the garden, imagining it's the man he failed to shoot. Buck tries to ask Ike what's wrong, but Ike claims he can't say.

The next day, while riding into town, The Kid and Jimmy tease Cody for taking such pride in his appearance and trample his hat. Teaspoon remarks that pride is a cheap commodity, easily lost or hurt, while self respect is something nobody can take from any man.

In town, the group meet Marshal Sam Cain, who tells them about the stagecoach massacre the previous day. Ike runs off, Buck and Teaspoon chasing after him. Ike accidentally runs into a man coming out of the saloon - the same man he saw the other day killing the drivers of the stage. Ike is stunned, not giving any indication that he knows the man as Buck explains that Ike is mute. The man begins to laugh at Ike, but Teaspoon and Buck both tell him off. Teaspoon asks is Ike knows that man. The man's name is Bart Nickerson - he's a well-known criminal, but local authorities have not yet found a witness to help put him away. Nickerson continues to drink in the saloon, but Ike returns with Sam, confirming that Nickerson is the killer he saw at the stagecoach.

Sam holds Nickerson in jail, explaining that a circuit judge will be in the town of Bluecreek in a few days, where Nickerson will be transported for his trial. Teaspoon, however, is concerned for Ike's safety in the interim, as Nickerson has men everywhere. The plan is that Sam will come by Sweetwater station in the morning and Ike will ride with him as he transports Nickerson to Bluecreek.

Two of Sam's deputies watch over the station that night, and the rest of the riders keep watch as well. A gang of Nickerson's men appears out of nowhere on horseback and shoot up the station, the riders, deputies, Teaspoon and Emma fighting back. The men ride by several times, but the riders manage to scare them off. Ike tries to slip off to Bluecreek alone before the sun comes up, but the other riders insist on coming with him. Ike says the situation isn't their problem, that the men are coming for him alone, to which The Kid replies, "Then they came for *us*." By the time Sam arrives, the riders are long gone.

The riders stop at a way station, but the station's keeper is nowhere to be found. Lou finds him tied up behind the station, as well as two suspicious horses. Lou cuts the saddle straps of the horses. When Ike enters the station, he's captured by two men working for Nickerson. They attempt to ride off with Ike, but fall off their horses due to the cut saddles. Just then, an even larger group of men on horseback approach from a distance. Cody insists on staying back to slow down the men, letting the others escape.

The Bluecreek, Sam waits anxiously for the boys. The judge says he can only hold Nickerson until the next day.

Still being pursued, the riders get trapped in a valley. They exchange gunfire with the men before both sides realize they are in a stalemate. The Kid takes a volley gun and scales the cliff face of the valley, taking their captors by surprise and allowing the other riders to escape. Like Cody, he stays behind. Ike, Lou, Jimmy and Buck make it to Bluecreek. Ike spends the night in jail, the jail being the safest place for him in the town. Nickerson continues to threaten Ike, trying ton convince him not to testify.

Sam takes the riders out to dinner, despite everybody being worried about Cody and The Kid. On the way to the hotel, Buck runs into a lady carrying some packages, helping her carry them down the street. Jimmy goads him on - "if you don't make it, we'll understand." While eating dinner, Cody and The Kid show up in one piece. Their celebration is cut short, however, when Sam gets a note that Nickerson's man got Buck - "If your friend testifies, the Indian dies."

The other riders decide to tell Ike; since Buck is his best friend, it's his call whether to testify or not. Ike says he will testify anyway, recounting how his parents died but he could not save them because he did not, could not speak. Nickerson says Buck will die the moment Ike takes the stand, but the other riders are determined to find him. The riders figure Nickerson's men must be holding Buck somewhere within sight of the courthouse and search the town the no avail.

The court begins, but with Buck nowhere in sight, Ike hesitates to stand. When he finally does, a woman in the courtroom faints. This turns out to be the signal, and a man outside the courthouse signals a man standing on the water tower, where Buck is being held. Cody manages to shoot at man and the riders rescue Buck.

The rest of the riders rush into the courthouse, Buck in the lead, who tells Ike to testify. With Buck now safe, Ike stands up and points directly at Bart Nickerson.