The Young Marauders
SYNOPSIS
Originally aired October 6, 1965.
A young man named Lloyd Garner saves Audra from injury by a herd of wild
horses that he and his fellow mustangers were attempting to capture. Audra
is immediately smitten by his good looks and charm.
However, as a sideline these mustangers are terrorizing the valley by forcing
farmers and ranchers to pay them 'protection' money with threats and by de-
stroying property. They even kill one of the farmers.
Eventually some of them want to target the Barkleys but Lloyd tells them that
the Barkleys won't pay. That night while Lloyd and Audra have supper in
Stockton the rest of his band sets fire to the Barkleys' barn.
Lloyd and Audra arrive back at the ranch to discover the family and the hands
struggling to contain the blaze. After Lloyd leaves Heath shares his suspicions
that Lloyd and his friends may be responsible for the valley's current problems
with his brothers.
LLOYD IS INVITED TO SUPPER & MEETS THE FAMILY.
HEATH SUSPECTS LLOYD
& HIS FRIENDS ARE RE-
SPONSIBLE FOR THE
VALLEY'S TROUBLES.
The next day Jarrod, Nick and Heath confront Lloyd with their suspicions, bring-
ing up the fact that the attacks started when the mustangers came to the valley.
Jarrod also presents evidence that the last location they were at experienced the
same problems, which ceased when they left.
Lloyd denies involvement and tries to leave. Nick attempts to force him to confess
and Audra enters the room as they are fighting. Audra is angry with her brothers
and, believing that Lloyd is innocent, goes to the mustangers' camp. Against Lloyd's
wishes the others take her hostage and demand a ransom from the Barkleys.
While Heath places the money at the specified location, Jarrod, Nick and a posse
wait in hiding. They follow the man that picks up the ransom and arrive in time to
save Audra and to capture the mustangers but not before Lloyd is killed by one of
his men who refused to allow Audra to leave.
PERSONAL IMPRESSION
I felt that the guest stars in this episode performed wonderfully, especially
Kevin Hagen who played the farmer that defied Lloyd and his men and paid
with his life and Sean Garrison who played Lloyd Garner.
Garrison approached the role in a low keyed, quiet manner. The first im-
pression is that he would be a fine, upstanding member of any community
but moments after the opening credits we are surprised to learn that he is
little more than an opportunistic and somewhat cowardly outlaw. After all,
they always arrive to collect their 'protection' money wearing hoods and he
is the one that shot the unarmed farmer.
The ending once again shows that there is still some decency in him when
he sacrifices his life to protect Audra from one of his men.
HEATH FILES
Three words - Heath bare chested!!! And for those that believe Heath was
the less intelligent Barkley male.....who was it that put the pieces together
and figured out who was responsible for the attacks? He may not have been
as sophisticated as Jarrod or as shrewd as Nick but he was no 'dumb bunny'.