The Kid (Episode)

**The Kid** is the first episode of The Young Riders series and the first episode of the first season (S1E1). This episode establishes the premise, location, time period and main characters that will feature in all episodes to follow.

## Plot

Episode one opens on an unnamed teenage boy, The Kid, walking into frame and into a town in the American Midwest. The year is 1860. The Kid wanders through town, eventually coming across a female brown and white pinto horse whom he takes an instant liking to. The owner is reluctant to sell her, naming a price of $25. The Kid, unable to afford her, walks off.

The Kid returns to a competitive boxing match he saw earlier, where onlookers are being challenged to last more than 3 minutes in the ring with Irish Johnny McLaren for a prize of $30. The barker tries to dissuade The Kid, saying folks never win, but the crowd cheers him on. Against all odds, The Kid wins. Beaten and bruised, he uses the money to buy the horse, who he names Katy.

While riding through town, the kid sees a poster:

WANTED - EXPERT RIDERS - YOUNG, SKINNY, WIRY FELLOWS - ORPHANS PREFERRED - MUST BE WILLING TO FACE DEATH DAILY - WAGES $5.00 PER WEEK

Fitting the bill, The Kid signs up for a job as a Pony Express rider. Upon arriving at the ranch, The Kid finds himself in a lineup of 5 other applicants being addressed by Aloysius "Teaspoon" Hunter, their new employer. Teaspoon gives a rundown of their job – to help deliver mail across America. Each rider will ride 75 miles in a day, changing horses 5 to 6 times a day to avoid running a horse more than 15 miles at a time.

Teaspoon assesses the boys. The first in line is Buck, who is half Kiowa Indian. Buck correctly identifies several arrows and the tribes they belong to, as well as the one that Teaspoon fabricated. Next in line is James Butler “Jimmy” Hickok. Teaspoon picks up the fact that Jimmy is trigger happy, and emphasizes that “you’re here for riding, not for gunfighting.” After Jimmy is Ike McSwain, who Buck quickly explains is mute. Ike is also bald due to suffering scarlet fever in the past, but proves to be excellent with horses. William F. Cody, whose ego rivals that of Jimmy’s, shows himself to be excellent with rifles. Lou McCloud, a short boy with glasses, is reluctant to speak, but quickly hops on a horse and proves himself to be an adept rider. The Kid is much more humble than the other boys, and Teaspoon regards him carefully. After running all the boys through rigorous training, Teaspoon offers them some parting words on encouragement;

> “Boys, you’re gonna be riding a thousand miles, day and night. Not even the devil himself gonna make no nevermind. You’re gonna tie these United States together, and do yourselves proud.”
>
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The episode cuts to a gang of bandits raiding a man’s camp, lead by a man with a scar across his face, who kills the man in cold blood.

Back at the ranch, Buck teaches Ike Plains Indian Sign Language so he can communicate with him and the other riders. Jimmy approaches The Kid, challenging him to show his skills with a gun. While not as fond of guns as Jimmy, The Kid reveals himself to be an excellent marksman.

Teaspoon receives an order of 3 seven-barreled Volley Guns he bought to distribute to way station keepers, which all the boys admire. We are introduced to Emma, the station house’s caretaker. Teaspoon cautions her against coddling the boys, but Emma stands firm that “they’re not orphans while I’m around.”

While in the town of Sweetwater with Emma, the boys meet marshal Sam Caine. While they talk, the man with the scar and his rowdy gang walk into town, and Sam tells them off.

Back at the station, The Kid gets ready for his first ride, grabbing the mail bag from an incoming rider and heading off on Katy. During the ride, The Kid is pursued by a group of Indians, but deters their horses with firecrackers.

The Kid makes no mention of this encounter over dinner with the other boys. Ike stumbles in, having been kicked in the head by a mustang. Jimmy threatens to discipline the horse, but Ike begs him not to, Emma dressing his wound.

Later, Lou arrives at a way station, finding it taken over by the gang from earlier. Lou attempts to flee but is shot by the man with the scar, falling unconscious. Lou is found by The Kid, who carries him into the way station to treat his injuries. In doing so, to The Kid’s surprise, he discovers that Lou is a girl. Lou reveals that she passed herself off as a boy in order to get a job as a rider and save enough money to rescue her younger brother and sister, who still live at the orphanage she ran away from.