Ep 9. Dead Cold Cash

Lucas McCain, a skilled gunman known as The Rifleman, returns to the town of North Fork in season 3 episode 9 titled "Dead Cold Cash." This episode begins with a former outlaw named Jim Peters, who is now a respectable businessman in town. One day, while on his way to the bank, Peters is robbed of $20,000, causing him to panic and ask Lucas for help.

Lucas agrees to help Peters and sets out to track down the robbers, accompanied by his son Mark. The search for the robbers leads the duo to a nearby town, where they meet up with Peters' partner in the bank, Bill Sweeney. Sweeney tells Lucas that he suspects a group of outlaws led by a man named Darcy are responsible for the robbery and that they are currently hiding out in an abandoned mining town.

Lucas and Mark head to the abandoned mining town to confront Darcy and his gang. There, they discover that the gang has holed up in the old mine, using it as a hideout. Lucas and Mark attempt to negotiate with Darcy, but he is not interested in their offer and instead decides to issue a challenge to Lucas. The two men will face off in a shooting contest, with the prize being the stolen money. Lucas ultimately wins the shooting contest, but things quickly take a turn for the worse.

As Lucas is leaving the mine with the money, Darcy and his men ambush him and take the cash back. Lucas and Mark are able to narrowly escape the ambush and quickly regroup to come up with a new plan. They decide to wait for Darcy and his men to leave the mine and then make their move.

After waiting for several hours, Darcy and his men finally exit the mine and begin their journey back to town. However, Lucas and Mark are waiting for them and a vicious gunfight ensues. Despite being outnumbered, Lucas and Mark are able to defeat Darcy and his gang, recover the stolen money, and return it to Peters and Sweeney.

Overall, "Dead Cold Cash" is a thrilling episode of The Rifleman that showcases Lucas McCain's impressive shooting skills and unwavering determination to do the right thing. The tense showdown between Lucas and Darcy, as well as the exciting gunfight that follows, make for an excellent addition to the show's third season.